That Kind of Boy
by TwilightTeen212
Summary: Formerly A Different Kind of World: The Boys. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper meet a trio of girls at a ball and immediately fall in love. They try to secure their hands, only to face numerous challenges. Will love overcome all? Full summary inside.
1. Opinions

**Full Summary: The boys version of my first story, A Different Kind of World. Take a step into the minds of Emmett, Jasper, and Edward as they meet and fall in love with a trio of extraordinary girls. What kind of troubles must they overcome in order to achieve true love? Set in Forks, Washington in the 1860s. BxE, JxA, RxEm. All Human. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE READ A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD TO READ THIS!**

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**Here it is, you guys. The first chapter of the boys version of my story. It's going to sound very similar to the girls version for a while, but that's just because there's a good 8 chapters of stage-setting to be done before the real drama begins. So just bear with me, okay?**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**And now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you.... Chapter 1!**

Chapter 1 – Opinions (Edward's POV)

I stood in front of my mirror, trying in vain to tame my bronze-colored hair. I raised my right hand and ran the brush in it through my hair, disarraying it further. "Sir," my manservant, Samuel, said. "Perhaps if you…"

"Please don't waste your energy, Samuel," I said. "My hair is never going to be agreeable. We are both wasting time. Now, please get me my silver bow tie."

"Yes, Mr. Masen." Samuel disappeared. As he left, I took a moment to think about the night ahead. Prominent society hosts (and close family friends) Carlisle and Esme Cullen were hosting yet another party tonight. For the residents of our town, Forks, it meant a night of dancing and socializing. For myself and my two closest friends, Jasper Whitlock and Emmett McCarty, it meant meeting another trio of eligible young women. Ever since we had become old enough to marry, Carlisle and Esme had taken it upon themselves to find us brides. They had introduced us to dozens of women in the few short years their 'matchmaking business' had been operating, but none of the women they had introduced us to had made lasting impressions on us. Emmett and Jasper still thought Carlisle and Esme's matchmaking could succeed. I, however, had my doubts. Tonight was the last time I would go through with Carlisle and Esme's matchmaking game. Tomorrow, I planned to talk to my parents about asking long-time family friend, Tanya Denali, for her hand.

Samuel returned with the tie. I took it from him and turned to the mirror. I started tying it as someone knocked on the door. Without looking away from the mirror, I called, "Come in!"

"Mr. Masen?" I finished tying my tie and turned to face Reuben, the butler. "Mr. Whitlock and Mr. McCarty are here."

"Thank you Reuben," I said. Without another word, I left the room and went to join my friends. I met them in the entrance hall and, after brief hellos, we proceeded outside and into the waiting carriage. For a while, we were silent. Finally, Emmett's booming voice broke it.

"So, are you guys excited?" he asked me and Jasper.

"I guess so," said Jasper. "I mean, I know we've been through this same routine so many times, but I still have faith."

"Same here," said Emmett. "My perfect girl is out there and one day, Carlisle and Esme will find her and bring her to me." He turned to look at me. "What about you, Edward? Excited?"

"No," I said bluntly. Emmett and Jasper stared at me.

"Why not?" Jasper asked me.

"It's like you said, Jasper. We've been through this so many times, and every single time it's failed. What are the odds that this time will be successful?"

"You've got to believe that it will, Edward," Emmett said. "You've got to have faith that the right girl for you is out there somewhere."

"That's the thing," I said, gazing out of the window forlornly. "I'm not so sure she is. I've been looking for this girl all my life and I still haven't found her. If she did exist, wouldn't I have found her by now?"

"Maybe you're not looking in the right place, Edward," Jasper told me. "Maybe you need to branch out, try looking in new places."

"I'm done looking. She's not out there."

"Don't just give up, Edward," Emmett said. "She's out there, I know it. And you'll find her. Maybe even sooner than you think."

By now, I was fed up with this discussion. Fortunately, we were just pulling into the Cullen's massive driveway. "We're here," I said, hoping it would distract Emmett and Jasper. Immediately, they sprung into grooming mode, straightening their bow ties and tuxedos, fixing their hair. I did the same things half-heartedly; I didn't care how I appeared to these girls. I knew they were just going to become three more faces among the many women who Carlisle and Esme thought I might like.

Together, Emmett, Jasper, and I walked into the ballroom. Immediately, we spotted our hosts, Carlisle and Esme. We walked across the room towards them. Carlisle noticed us first and lightly squeezed Esme's shoulder, causing her to look up at him. He nodded his head in our direction and she turned. She spotted us and a smile blossomed on her face. Together, they walked over to us.

"Edward, Emmett, Jasper," Carlisle addressed us. "It's lovely to see you three."

Jasper and Emmett each stepped forward and embraced the blond man in front of us. Finally, I got my turn. "It's lovely to see you, too," I told him as I embraced him, careful of his gray silk suit. "Thank you so much for inviting us."

"You're welcome, dears," Esme cooed, stepping forward to embrace me. I hugged her, careful not to upset the complicated up do she had styled her caramel-colored hair in or her lilac silk dress. She stepped away from me and I saw the smile stretched across her heart shaped face.

"Carlisle, Esme, didn't you say you had a few friends you wanted us to meet?"

"Oh, yes," Esme said. "I'll go find them." She turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving us with Carlisle. We began talking with Carlisle. In the few minutes Esme was gone, our conversation ranged over a wide spectrum of topics. Politics, both in the United States and globally, economics, business, sports (Emmett was a big fan of horse racing), everything. We were in the middle of a discussion of German chancellor Otto von Bismarck's latest treaty when Carlisle saw something – or rather someone – over our shoulders that made him smile.

"Oh, good, Esme, you found them," he said. "Mr. Masen, Mr. Whitlock, Mr. McCarty, allow me to introduce to you Miss Swan, Miss Brandon, and Miss Hale."

Emmett, Jasper, and I turned. Three faints gasps reached my ears, but I didn't pay them any attention. I was too spellbound by the sight in front of me to notice a thing.

**Well? Good start? Bad start? Interesting? Boring? Should I keep writing or just stop before I ruin the story? I want to know what you think! I already have a few more chapters ready, so review well and you might just get another one before the weekend is out!**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	2. First Impressions

**Um, yeah not much to say. So here it is... Chapter 2!**

Chapter 2 – First Impressions (Edward's POV)

I blinked my eyes once, twice, three times, trying to make the apparition in front of me turn back into reality. But it wouldn't. Three stunningly beautiful girls stood in front of me and my friends. The girl closest to me was the smallest, thin in the extreme, almost pixie-like, with black hair and hazel eyes. She was very pretty, but she held no interest to me. Next to her stood a statuesque blond. She held herself in a very regal, poised manner, her violet eyes alert. I could tell she thought highly of herself. She too was beautiful, but, like her friend, she held no interest. I turned to look at the last girl, already sure that she too would hold no interest to me. I glanced at her, uninterested. And froze.

The final girl was…. an angel. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Mahogany hair was arrayed in a simple but glamorous up do around her face, and her pale skin glowed. I felt myself staring at her, unable to tear my eyes away. My plan to ask Tanya to marry me was forgotten as I looked at the beauty before me. This girl… she was what I was looking for. Seeing her, standing there, I knew I would never want any other girl but her. She turned to look at me and I looked away, afraid she would catch me staring.

We all stood there awkwardly, not speaking. Finally, the gorgeous brunette spoke. "It's wonderful to meet you three," she said. Her voice was like bells, and I found myself hypnotized by the sound.

Emmett stood closest to her. He smiled at her politely. "It's nice to meet you too, Miss…"

"Swan," she answered in her gorgeous bell voice. "Isabella Swan." I sighed internally at the sound of her name. Just like her, it was beautiful. She continued to speak to Emmett. "And you are…?"

"Emmett McCarty." Emmett stretched out his hand and she shook it. For the briefest second, I envied him.

The blond girl beside Isabella turned to Jasper and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. …?" her voice trailed off as she waited politely for Jasper to say his name.

"Whitlock," Jasper answered, shaking her hand. "Jasper Whitlock."

"A pleasure, Mr. Whitlock," she said.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss…"

"Hale. Rosalie Hale."

The tiny pixie girl turned to me. "Hello, I'm Alice Brandon," she said in a high, soprano voice. "You must be Mr. Masen, yes?" She held out her hand.

I reached out and took her hand, shaking it. "Yes, I am Mr. Edward Masen, at your service, Miss Brandon." Alice giggled slightly, before falling silent, like the rest of us. For a while, we just stood there.

"Would any of you ladies care to dance?" Jasper asked after a minute or two, breaking the silence. Rosalie, Alice, and Isabella exchanged a glance before nodding. I smiled. A quick glance out of the corner of my eye confirmed that Jasper and Emmett were smiling too. We were about to move when Alice spoke up.

"Just a warning to whoever is dancing with Isabella," she said. "She is a bit clumsy and might trip." Emmett, Jasper, and I laughed. Isabella glared at Alice and Alice smiled back.

We each paired off with the girl in front of us: Emmett with Isabella, Jasper with Rosalie, me with Alice. As Emmett led Isabella towards the dance floor, I experienced a weird feeling. Was I really…. jealous…. of Emmett? Just because he was dancing with Isabella? Impossible.

Alice and I proceeded onto the dance floor and began dancing a slow sarabande. As we danced, I watched Isabella, dancing with Emmett. For some strange reason, she seemed to be looking in the direction of me and Alice. She stumbled slightly and Emmett threw back his head and laughed.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Masen?" Alice asked me, making me return my attention to her. "You seem a little distracted." She sounded concerned.

"Everything is quite alright, Miss Brandon," I replied. She seemed to want to ask more questions, but she remained silent. We dance in silence for the rest of the song. When it ended, I took her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing her fingertips. "Thank you, Miss Brandon," I said.

"You're welcome, Mr. Masen," she answered. I saw Emmett making his way towards us and I knew now was my chance to find Isabella. I hurried away, looking for her. I spotted her and immediately started in her direction. Then I noticed the blond man next to her, asking her to dance. Jasper. I sighed, turning away. I spotted Rosalie and walked over towards her.

"Miss Hale, would you care to dance?" I asked her politely.

"I would, Mr. Masen," she answered. We swept out onto the dance floor and began dancing a foxtrot. We didn't talk much during our dance. Once or twice, Rosalie attempted to start a conversation, but my answers were brief, leaving her little to work off of. Finally, we simply danced in silence.

"Thank you, Miss Hale," I said when the dance was over, kissing her fingertips.

"You're welcome, Mr. Masen," she replied. I dropped her hand and started searching for Isabella again. I spotted her quickly and started walking towards her, only to stop and groan in frustration. A blond man stood by her, his hand held out to her. I was furious. Suddenly, I noticed her head turning back and forth, as if she was looking for someone. I followed her gaze and saw she was looking at her two friends. Instantly, I understood. She was looking for her friends because she wanted them to help her. However, since they were no better off than she, she was caught. No one could help her. No one but me.

I walked towards Isabella and the blond man. When I was close enough to them to be heard, I held out my hand and called Isabella's name. "Miss Swan?" She turned to look at me. The blond man beside me was glaring at me furiously, but I ignored him and continued addressing Isabella. "I believe you promised me the next dance," I told her. I looked into her chocolate brown eyes and willed her to trust me enough to take my hand.

She smiled and reached out to take my hand. "I do believe I did, Mr. Masen," she said to me. "Excuse me, Mr. Newton." I led her onto the dance floor, away from a furious Mr. Newton, and we began dancing a Viennese waltz. We didn't speak to each other, but I didn't care. I was happy enough to be dancing with her.

Suddenly, her bell-like voice cut through the silence. "Thank you for rescuing me from Mr. Newton, Mr. Masen," she said.

"You're welcome, Miss Swan," I said to her, looking down into her stunning chocolate brown eyes. "A man of his type does not deserve to been seen dancing with a lady such as yourself." I smiled my usual crooked smile at her. "Now, a gentleman like me, on the other hand, does."

"Oh?" Isabella asked me. "And what makes you so much better than Mr. Newton?" I could tell from her tone that she found me arrogant.

"Would you rather be dancing with him right now?" I asked her with another smile.

"No," she responded curtly.

"Well, there's your answer." I chuckled. Isabella didn't answer, and we kept dancing in silence. I watched her as we did, trying to decipher what this fascinating creature could be thinking. She looked up and her chocolate brown eyes met mine. There were so deep and beautiful, and I found myself getting lost in them. I felt my own gaze intensifying as I watched her. She blushed and I found myself marveling in how perfect the rosy flush looked against her cream-colored skin. I stopped marveling over Isabella's beauty when I felt her trip. Luckily, my grip around her waist was tight enough to keep her from falling. I chuckled slightly and the same rosy blush colored her cheeks.

Too soon, the dance ended. I lifted Isabella's hand to my lips and kissed her fingertips. A tiny shock raced through my lips at the contact. My eyes widened slightly in surprise before I recomposed myself. Isabella gasped and I wondered if she had felt the same thing I had. I straightened up, but didn't let go of her hand. "Thank you for a wonderful dance, Miss Swan," I said.

"You're quite welcome, Mr. Masen" she answered.

"Is there a chance that I might see you again?" I asked quietly, hoping the answer would be yes.

"I'm sure my parents would not object," she answered, her bell voice as quiet as mine.

I kissed her fingertips again. "Then I hope to see you soon, Miss Swan," I told her in the same quiet voice. With that, I let go of her hand and walked away. I made my way to one of the couches that lined the room and sat down, trying in vain to regain control over myself.

_Emmett's POV_

I led Isabella onto the dance floor as the musicians began to play. Isabella and I began dancing a slow sarabande, and she tripped over her feet. I laughed lightly and we kept dancing. We kept perfect time, but I felt like Isabella wasn't entirely present. My suspicions were confirmed when she tripped over her feet a second time. I laughed again. "I see Miss Brandon was telling the truth when she said you were somewhat clumsy, Miss Swan," I said.

"That's me," she replied. "Isabella Swan, the clumsy one." I laughed once more.

"So you fall down a lot?" I asked her.

"A lot is an understatement. I can't walk across a flat surface without tripping."

"Oh." I spun her one last time and the dance ended. I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her fingertips. "Thank you for that dance, Miss Swan."

"You're welcome, Mr. McCarty." I let go of her hand and disappeared into the crowd, searching for either Alice or Rosalie. I found Alice first.

Edward was just leaving her side as I approached. "Would you like to dance, Miss Brandon?" I asked her.

"I would like to dance, Mr. McCarty," she answered. I smiled and offered her my hand. She took it and we swept onto the dance floor and began dancing a foxtrot.

By midway through the dance, I was trying to recall exactly which of the girls was supposed to be the clumsy one. I thought it was Isabella, but maybe I was wrong. Alice was stumbling and tripping almost as often as Isabella had. "I don't mean to be rude, Mr. McCarty, but I don't think us dancing together is working," Alice said.

I laughed. "I think you're right, Miss Brandon." I let go of her waist and kissed her fingertips. "Thank you for trying to dance with me, though."

"You're welcome." She smiled broadly. I dropped her hand and walked into the crowd. There was still one other girl whom I had yet to dance with and I wasn't going to leave until I got my chance.

I spotted a statuesque blond in the center of the crowd. As I walked towards her, I saw another man standing near her, hand extended. He was asking her to dance and, judging by the set of her lips and the way her eyes scanned the crowd looking for an escape, she wasn't too thrilled. I hurried to her side.

"Miss Hale?" The man glared at me as Rosalie turned to look at me. "I believe you promised you would dance with me."

"You're going to have to wait, sir," the man said. "I asked her for this dance first."

_Oh… I didn't think of that…_ "Actually, Mr. Crowley, since I promised Mr. McCarty I would dance with him before you asked me, that makes this dance his," Rosalie said in her wind chimes voice. _Wait…What?_ "If you'll excuse me…"

"Thank you Miss Hale," I said to her. I turned to Mr. Crowley, annoyed. I didn't like him bothering Rosalie and I decided to ensure he wouldn't again. "And by the way," I said, my voice menacing. "I would appreciate it if you would refrain from asking my fiancée to dance, Mr. Crowley." I smiled in pleasure as the color drained from his face.

I offered Rosalie my arm and she laid her hand on it. Wordlessly, we walked onto the dance floor and began dancing a Viennese waltz.

"So I'm your fiancée, am I, Mr. McCarty?" Rosalie asked.

I smiled. "I just said that to keep him from bothering you again," I admitted sheepishly.

"You couldn't think of any other way to keep him from bothering me?"

"Do you want him to leave you alone or not?" She sighed. _Victory!_ I chuckled and pulled her closer to me. I don't know what came over me – there was just this urge to protect her. Suddenly, she gasped.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried I had upset her.

"What if Mr. Crowley tells everyone we're engaged?" she asked, worry laced in her voice.

"It will be obvious that he's lying," I chuckled. "After all, you're not wearing a ring." We danced in silence for a little longer and then the song ended. Slowly, I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her fingertips. "Thank you for a wonderful dance, Miss Hale."

"It was my pleasure, Mr. McCarty," Rosalie answered. "You are a much better companion than Mr. Masen."

I laughed; Edward was never very talkative when we first met girls. "What about Jasper?" I asked, still laughing. "Am I a better companion than him as well?" _Please say yes. Please say yes._

"Mr. Whitlock is a special circumstance," she answered. I looked at her, confused. She sighed. "Jasper is my cousin. He is a wonderful companion, and I love to spend time with him, but he's family."

I nodded. _So she's Jasper's cousin? Good to know. _"Well, thank you again, Miss Hale. I hoped to see you again." With that, I turned and walked away. I maneuvered through the crowd until I reached on of the couches around the room. I sank down onto it, unsteady, confused, and tried to reassemble my thoughts.

_Jasper's POV_

I led Rosalie onto the dance floor and we began dancing a slow sarabande. As we danced, she studied my face. I looked at hers and was hit with a flash of familiarity. I brushed it off. I had probably seen her in passing at another party; that was why she seemed familiar.

"So, how long have you been living in Forks, Mr. Whitlock?" she asked me.

"Not very long, Miss Hale," I answered politely. We fell silent again, dancing for a few minutes before she spoke again.

"What's wrong, Jasper?" she asked sweetly. I was instantly curious as to why she was suddenly using my first name. "You don't recognize me?"

I stared closely at the perfect face in front of me. Suddenly, I looked closely at the eyes. Violet eyes, watchful, scheming yet beautiful nonetheless. The eyes of… my cousin Rosalie. My eyes widened in understanding and shock and I smiled. "Cousin Rosalie?" I asked.

"And here I thought you were never going to figure out who I was," she teased me.

"Well, it's been so long since I last saw you, and you've grown so much," I told my favorite cousin.

"You've changed too. It took me a little while to recognize you." We laughed in harmony. "So what brings you and your family to Forks?"

I hesitated. _She's family. You can tell her. It doesn't matter. She'll understand. _"The Civil War." Instant comprehension lit Rosalie's eyes. I could tell she wanted to ask me more questions, but she seemed to see something in my face that made her change the subject.

"How long have you been in Forks for?" she asked, keeping her tone light and friendly.

"A month," I said, relieved that she had changed the subject.

"And you never came to say hello or tell us that you were here? I'm hurt." She pretended to pout.

"We've been trying to start over. Erase the old image of the Whitlock family. That's why I've become so close to Edward and Emmett. Their families have really helped us begin anew. So have the Cullens." I felt the pain appearing on my face. This was so hard to talk about, even with Rosalie, who knew the whole story.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Rose," I said, her childhood nickname falling off my lips before I could stop it.

She smiled too. "You're welcome, Jazz," she replied, calling me by mine. The dance ended and I kissed her fingertips.

"Thank you for a lovely dance, Miss Hale," he said. The formal name felt so weird. I had always called her Rosalie or Rose, never Miss Hale.

"You're welcome, Mr. Whitlock."

I leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Please don't tell anybody, particularly your friends, about what we discussed."

"I swear not to tell," I whispered back. I straightened up and with one last smile at my cousin, walked away. I found Isabella not far away from Rosalie and walked over to her. "Excuse me, Miss Swan," I called to her. She turned. "Would you care to dance?"

"Yes, Mr. Whitlock, I would be delighted," she answered. She took my hand and we walked out onto the dance floor. We began dancing a foxtrot. For a while we were silent. "I noticed you have a slight Southern accent, Mr. Whitlock," Isabella commented.

"That I do, Miss Swan. You see, I'm originally from Texas, but my family left about a month ago." I wasn't eager to say more and she must have sensed that, since she asked no more questions. When the dance came to an end, I raised her hand to my mouth. "Thank you, Miss Swan," I said.

"You're welcome, Mr. Whitlock," she answered. I smiled, then walked away. I wandered absently until I stumbled across a dark-haired man. He had cornered a small, petite, dark-haired woman, and was asking her to dance. I was disgusted. This was no way to treat a lady, cornering her and then asking her to dance. The woman's eyes scanned the room, searching for someone. I followed her gaze and saw her watching Rosalie and Isabella. I realized then that this was the third girl, Alice. She turned her attention back to the man in front of her and as she did, her gaze roved over me. I met her gaze and she widened her eyes, silent begging me to help her. I walked towards her.

"Excuse me, sir," I said to the black-haired gentleman. "Is there a reason why you are antagonizing this young lady here?"

"On the contrary, sir," he said. "I was simply asking her to dance. I am not antagonizing her in any way."

"Really?" I said. "She looks antagonized to me."

"I beg your pardon, sir, but this is none of your business."

"Sir," I said, my voice lower, more dangerous. "I would advise you to leave this young lady alone before I report you to the authorities for harassment." The man dropped his hand and backed away from Alice. I gave him one last, hard glare before turning to the woman in front of me. "My apologies, Miss Brandon."

"It's not your fault, Mr. Whitlock," she answered in her high soprano voice. "I don't hold you accountable."

"At least let me have one dance to make it up to you." I held out my hand.

She took my hand. "I'd be happy to comply." Hand in hand, we walked out onto the dance floor and began dancing a Viennese waltz. "Mr. Whitlock, if you don't mind my asking, why did you come save me from Mr. Yorkie?"

My voice was hard as I answered, "The way he was acting was no way to treat a lady such as yourself."

"I noticed you have a slight southern accent, Mr. Whitlock," she said, tactfully changing the subject. "Where exactly in the South are you from?"

"I'm from Texas, Miss Brandon."

"Why did your family leave?"

"Complications." I felt my face taking on a mask of upset and hurt. I sighed. The one thing I had wanted to avoid was happening.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me," she said softly. "I can empathize. It's the same thing for me." I looked at her questioningly. Alice lowered her head. "I'm not originally from Forks either. I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. My family moved to Forks when I was only three years old to…" her voice broke and I felt a flutter of compassion and concern for her. "To escape the rising tensions between the North and the South. My father was deadly afraid that war would break out and one or both of my brothers would be drafted to fight for the South. It would have killed him. My grandfather was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was never the same after that war. It haunted him until his dying day. My great-grandfather died during the Revolutionary War. My father was afraid that my brothers would suffer one of these two fates. So we left." A tear slipped down her cheek. I let go of her waist and reached up to wipe the tear away. She looked up at me as I looked down at her.

I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Alice's mouth. The story she told was almost identical to my own. I never thought this would happen. Here was someone who could empathize with me completely, somebody who knew exactly what I had experienced because they had experienced it too. I was overwhelmed by how much trust I could feel in the air around us. The only question that remained was if I trusted her enough to tell her the truth.

"I never thought I'd meet someone who could understand," I murmured finally. Alice looked confused, so I began to explain. "My story is similar to yours, Miss Brandon. I was born in Houston, Texas. A month ago, my family relocated from Houston to here. My father was afraid that I would be drafted to the Confederate army and suffer a fate like that of my grandfather or my great-grandfather. My grandfather is still haunted with memories of the War of 1812 to this day. My great-grandfather never survived to see my grandfather get married. My father didn't want any of this to happen to me. We came here in the hopes of starting anew, away from the conflict. We wanted to put this behind us. Edward's family, Emmett's family, and the Cullens have helped us immensely with putting this behind us. I owe them a debt of gratitude. I owe you a debt of gratitude. You've helped me too, Miss Brandon. I've finally found someone who I know will understand. Thank you." I smiled at her and she smiled back.

When the dance ended, we moved apart, but I kept hold of her hand. We stood still, staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Tentatively, I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her fingertips. "Thank you, Miss Brandon," I said. There was plenty more that I wanted to say, but I felt I didn't need to; those four words were enough.

"You're welcome, Mr. Whitlock," she said quietly.

"Is there a chance that I may see you again?" I asked, not ready to let go of the one person who truly understood me.

"I'm sure that can be arranged," she answered. "I think both of our families would benefit greatly from meeting the others." I smiled and let go of her hand. I turned away from Alice and began walking though the crowd. I reached one of the couches that ringed the room and sat down, shock at what I had just done overwhelming my body.

**So, what does everybody think so far? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please review and tell me what you think! If you guys give enough reviews, I could be tempted to put up another chapter this weekend!**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	3. Triple Threat

**_IMPORTANT!!! READ THIS!!!!: THIS IS NOT A FILLER CHAPTER! IT HAS SIGNIFIGANCE TO THE PLOT! IT'S NOT APPARENT NOW, BUT I PROMISE THAT THERE'S A REASON BEHIND THIS._**

Chapter 3 – Triple Threat (Edward's POV)

I sat on the couch, completely in shock. This girl… Isabella…She was amazing. She was like no other woman I had ever met. I was completely spellbound by her. She was… there weren't words to describe her.

"Edward?" A high, reedy voice calling my name broke my trance. I looked up. A small girl walked toward me. For a second, I thought she was Alice, one of Isabella's friends. Then I got a closer look at her and I groaned internally. It was Jane, an older attempt of Carlisle and Esme's. She was also one of their more ridiculous attempts. The youngest of three sisters, she was just old enough to marry. Her sisters, Heidi and Renata, had been the other two girls. They were all nice girls, and Heidi was very beautiful, but they had one crucial flaw: they didn't understand the meaning of the word no. Consequently, they continued to pursue Emmett, Jasper, and I even though we expressed no interest in them.

"Hello, Jane," I said.

"How are you, Edward? It's been so long since I last saw you."

"It has, hasn't it? I'm doing fine, thank you for asking. I was actually about to go look for Emmett. He disappeared a while ago, and I'm not sure where he went."

"I'll help you look for him," Jane said. I sighed. Does she ever give up?

"I couldn't ask you to do that. Stay and enjoy yourself." I started backing away slowly. "It's been nice talking to you, Jane. Enjoy the rest of your evening." With that, I turned and disappeared into the crowd, and began searching for Emmett.

_Emmett's POV_

I was so confused. I had been sitting on this same couch for a few minutes, trying to reassemble my thoughts, but I could only think of Rosalie. She was amazing. So poised and perfect, yet so fragile and delicate. I wanted nothing more than to be able to hold her in my arms and protect her from anything that would try to hurt her.

"Emmett? Is that you?" I looked up at the source of the voice. A statuesque woman stood over me, violet eyes gazing down at me. Her mahogany hair was pulled away from her face in an up do. She seemed familiar…Suddenly I recognized her as Heidi Volterra, the eldest of the Volterra sisters. There were three of them: Heidi, the eldest, Renata, the middle, and Jane, the youngest. Carlisle and Esme had introduced us to them in an early matchmaking attempt. We had not been particularly attracted to them, but they had. Heidi openly pursued me, just like Renata pursued Jasper and Jane pursued Edward.

"Hello, Heidi."

She smiled and sat down next to me. "It is you, Emmett. I thought I recognized you. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"That's nice. Are Edward and Jasper here?"

"Yes, somewhere. Are Jane and Renata here?" I didn't really care, I just asked so I wouldn't seem rude.

"Yes, but I haven't seen them in a while. Anyway…" she leaned in closer to me. At the same second, Edward appeared, looking worried. Relief washed over his face when he saw me.

"There you are, Emmett," he said. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I can't find Jasper anywhere. Have you seen him?"

"I…" I opened my mouth to tell Edward that I had seen him dancing with Alice not long ago and that I was sure he was fine, but stopped. I realized what Edward was doing and immediately started playing along. "No, I haven't seen him. We should go find him." I stood up and turned to Heidi. "Excuse me, Heidi." Edward and I turned and walked away.

As we walked away, I thought I heard Edward murmur, "You owe me, Emmett."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Come on, Jasper needs our help."

_Jasper's POV_

The few minutes I had been sitting here had helped exponentially with the shock. I knew that there was no sense worrying about it. I had told her. Alice knew and nothing in the world would make her forget. Unless someone would be evil enough to harm her… I shuddered at the thought of anyone hurting someone like Alice. She was so sweet, so trusting. Why would anyone dislike her?

I heard the rustle of silk and felt someone sit down on the couch next to me. "Hello, Jasper," they cooed. I looked up. Renata Volterra sat next to me. The middle of three sisters, Renata had taken a fancy to me when she and her sisters had been introduced to Edward, Emmett, and I several months ago. The interest, however, was not returned.

"Hello, Renata," I said.

"It's been ever so long since I last saw you. Have you been well?"

"I've been fine."

"That's good. Are Emmett and Edward here?"

"Yes, they are. Are Jane and Heidi here?"

"Yes." She looked like she wanted to say more, but at that exact second Edward and Emmett appeared.

"There you are, Jasper!" Emmett cried in relief.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," Edward said. "Don't disappear again; you scared us." I was confused. Why were they so worried? They knew I had been dancing and that I was fine.

"Guys, I'm f…" As I started to speak, they gestured subtly towards Renata. _Oh, so this is a rescue mission? Thank goodness. _"I'm sorry about that, guys. I should have told you where I was going. Is there a reason you need me?"

"Yes, actually," Emmett said. "Carlisle and Esme are looking for us. They said they needed to tell us something. Something important."

"We should go find them right away," I said, standing up. "Excuse me, Renata."

Emmett, Edward, and I walked away. As we merged into the crowd, I heard Emmett and Edward whisper, "You're welcome, Jasper."

"Thank you," I said.

**Just in case some of you missed this before, I'm going to say this again: _THIS IS NOT A FILLER CHAPTER. YOU WILL EVENTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHY I PUT THIS IN._** **Other than that, I've got nothing important to say. Please review!**

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	4. What Is This Feeling?

**Here's chapter 4!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

Chapter 4 – What Is This Feeling? (Edward's POV)

Emmett, Jasper, and I trailed outside, afraid to remain in the ballroom for fear Heidi, Renata, and Jane would come looking for us. We wandered into the gardens and searched for somewhere to sit. As we walked, we heard the faint sounds of what sounded like three girls talking, but we couldn't make out the words. Finally, we found a bench and sat down. We started talking about random things, purposely shying away from the only thing we really wanted to discuss.

Finally, Jasper asked the question. "So what did you two think of those three girls?"

"You mean Rosalie, Alice, and Isabella?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, Emmett," I said, exasperated. "We didn't meet any other girls tonight, so it would have to be them."

"Excuse me, Edward," Emmett replied. "Maybe while you were busy staring at Isabella like a love-sick puppy, I was off meeting other girls."

I growled slightly. "Emmett, I know for a fact that you didn't meet any other girls tonight. Meeting other girls would have required you to stop looking at Rosalie for a time span of more than a few seconds." Jasper chuckled.

"You shouldn't be laughing, Jasper," Emmett snarled at him. "You were just as besotted with Alice as I was with Rosalie and as Edward was with Isabella." I inhaled sharply, ready to shoot down Emmett's words. I heard Jasper inhale sharply as well, and knew he was going to do the same. I waited for the words to come, but they never did. I couldn't fight back because it was true. I felt something for Isabella, something I couldn't quite put a name to. I sighed at the same time that Emmett and Jasper did as well.

"This is so weird, isn't it?" I asked them. "None of the girls Esme and Carlisle have introduced to us have ever had this affect on us."

"Until now," Jasper corrected me softly.

"What is it about them, anyway?" Emmett wondered aloud. "Why are they so special? Why did they have an affect on us almost instantaneously, when no other girl has before?" No one answered Emmett's questions. I was too lost in my thoughts of Isabella. A quick glance at Jasper's and Emmett's faces confirmed that they were too busy thinking of Alice and Rosalie. We all sighed again.

"I guess they have this power because there's something about them that draws us in," Jasper said. Emmett and I looked at him, confused. "At least, that's how it was for me and Alice. I just met her, and yet I know I can trust her. I told her about my past and she was able to empathize completely. It made me feel free."

I started, shocked. "You told her?" I asked. "You've known her for one night and you already told her? It took you a week or two to confess to us and we're your closest friends."

"I know that, Edward," Jasper told me. "I trust her. She understood me. It just felt like the right thing to do."

"I get what you're saying, Jasper," Emmett replied. "There was something similar between me and Rosalie. When I saw that vile Tyler Crowley bothering her, I just had to step in and help her. There was just this urge to protect her, to make sure she was safe in my arms. I don't know how to explain it."

"What about you and Isabella, Edward?" Jasper asked me.

"I don't think there are words to describe the feelings I have for Isabella," I said quietly. "Everything about her is just amazing. When I touched her, it felt like little electric sparks were running up my arm. She is so different from every other girl I've ever met – even her two friends. I have feelings for Isabella and I know that my feelings for her are not going to change." We all fell silent again, wrapped up in our individual thoughts of our dream girl. We sat there in silence for a few moments.

"We should go back inside," Jasper said, breaking all of our trances. "No doubt Esme and Carlisle are wondering where we are." We stood up and starting walking back to the ballroom. When we were back inside, we made our way over to our hosts.

"Oh, there you are, boys!" Esme cried when she saw us. "Carlisle and I were wondering where you had disappeared to."

"We just stepped outside for some air," Emmett said.

"That's fine, boys," Carlisle said. "So did you enjoy meeting Miss Swan, Miss Brandon, and Miss Hale?"

"We did," I replied. "They are all fine ladies."

"We're glad you did," Esme said. "Those girls mean so much to us. We want only the best for them, and you three, too." We smiled. Bidding Carlisle and Esme a good night, we turned and walked through the crowd. We joined the masses of people ringing the dance floor and watched the dancers. Suddenly, I felt Emmett jab me lightly in the side with his elbow.

"Yes, Emmett?" I said, looking at him. Wordlessly, he pointed at something or someone in the crowd. I followed his finger and spotted Alice, Rosalie, and Isabella walking through the crowd, towards the doorway of the ballroom. Emmett, Jasper, and I started after them.

We exited into the entrance hall and found them at the far end, walking towards the front doors of the mansion. Immediately, we called their names. They turned and stopped walking. We took this as a positive sign and walked over to them.

"You know Miss Swan, Miss Brandon, Miss Hale, it's going to be rather hard to see you again if we don't know where you live," I said as we approached them. I smiled at Isabella and pulled a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket, handing them to her. She lowered her head and quickly wrote her name and address on the paper before handing it back to me. I pocketed it and pulled out a second piece of paper. I handed her the small paper with my address on it.

"Thank you, Mr. Masen," she said to me.

"No, thank you, Miss Swan," I told her.

Alice, Rosalie, and Isabella began walking outside again, and Emmett, Jasper, and I joined them. The six of us waited together as our various carriages were brought forward. Ours came first, but we did not get in.

"Aren't you going to get in?" Alice asked.

"We'll wait until you're carriage comes, and we can see you off safely," Jasper responded.

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have to wait," Rosalie said.

"We know. We want to," Emmett replied.

"We'll be fine," Isabella said. "Please, don't let us detain you. We don't need help."

"And what if those three vile men who bothering you earlier return?" I questioned. "Then you will need our help, will you not?" Alice, Rosalie, and Isabella sighed in defeat. Within the minute, their carriage pulled up in front of the stairs. They walked towards it and the footman prepared to climb down and help them.

"Here, don't bother climbing down," Emmett said to him. "We'll help them." The girls remained quiet, which we took as a sign of agreement. Jasper helped Alice in first, followed by Emmett, who helped Rosalie. Last, I helped Isabella in. As she climbed in, she smiled sweetly at me. I smiled back at her. She disappeared inside the carriage and the door shut. They started off down the Cullen's massive driveway. Emmett, Jasper, and I all stood there, watching their carriage go. Finally, we broke out of our trances, climbed into our own carriage, and set off for home.

**Enjoying the glimpse into the boys minds? So send me a review and tell me that! Please!**

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	5. See You Again

**Here it is.... Chapter 5!**

Chapter 5 – See You Again (Edward's POV)

_**Several weeks later….**_

It had been a few weeks since Carlisle and Esme's last party. A few weeks since I had met Isabella. One would have thought that by now I would be over whatever strange sense of infatuation had gripped me that night. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I was still as besotted with her as I had been that night. I was always thinking about her, wondering where she was, what she was doing, who she was with. I had to see her again or risk going completely insane. But how?

A slight neighing noise from outside caught my attention and I was struck with a burst of inspiration. Why don't I invite her to go horseback riding? Our families could go together and I would just have to find some way to get her alone for a little while. It was perfect. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began writing. _Oh, wait. I should ask my parents first._ I jumped out of my seat and raced downstairs.

My parents looked up in shock when I raced into the drawing room. "Whatever is the hurry, Edward?" my mother asked.

"Mother, father, would it be okay if I invited a friend and their family to go horseback riding with us tomorrow?" I asked.

"What is your friend's name?" my father asked.

"Her name is Isabella Swan," I answered. "We met at the Cullen's party several weeks ago."

"The police chief's daughter?" my father asked. I nodded. He turned to my mother. "What do you think dear?"

"I have no objections," my mother replied. "Police Chief Swan has a lovely family. Go ahead and invite them to join us, Edward."

I smiled. "Thank you mother, father." I raced back upstairs and grabbed the paper and pen once more. _Dear Isabella,_ I wrote. _I hope this letter finds you in good health. It has been a long time since we last saw each other and I would like that to change. Therefore, I would like to invite you and your family to come riding with me and my family tomorrow. Please let me know soon if you plan to join us. Sincerely, Edward._ I reread the letter and, satisfied that it sounded light and friendly, bade a messenger to deliver it to Isabella.

I sat at my piano, absently playing a random melody, when Reuben appeared. "Excuse me, Mr. Masen," he said. "I don't mean to interrupt you, but this just arrived." He handed me a letter. "The messenger who delivered it was instructed to wait in case you wanted to send a response."

"Thank you, Reuben," I said. I opened the letter and was delighted to find a response from Isabella. _Dear Edward, _she wrote. _Your letter found me doing fine. It has been too long since we last saw each other and I was happy to see your invitation. My family and I would like to accept your invitation. We will meet you at your house at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Sincerely, Isabella._

I couldn't help but smile. I was going to see Isabella tomorrow. My heart soared at the prospect. I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick response. _Dear Isabella,_ _I'm glad my letter found you in good spirits. I'm even happier to know that you agree with me that it has been far too long since we last saw each other. And I'm thrilled to hear that your family will be joining mine to go riding tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you. Until tomorrow, Isabella. Sincerely, Edward. _I hurried outside and asked the messenger to deliver the letter to Isabella. Then I trailed back inside and resumed playing the piano.

_**The next day…**_

The clacking of hoofs and wheels on the driveway drew my attention outside. I raced over to the window and pulled aside the curtain, gazing down. A carriage was pulling up in front of our house. I knew who it was instantaneously. I turned and ran downstairs, searching for my parents.

"Mother, father," I called when I found them in the backyard, "The Swans are here." Wordlessly, they rose and the three of us proceeded around the house to the front. When we rounded the final corner, I spotted a brown haired angel walking towards my front door, a pair of people behind her. "Isabella!" I called to the angel. She turned and the two others behind her stopped and looked our way as well. My parents and I continued walking towards the Swans. When we reached Isabella and her parents, I caught her hand in mine. "It's a pleasure to see you again Isabella," I said. I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her fingertips, ready for the small shock that I knew I would felt. Even though I tried to prepare myself, my eyes still widened at the feeling.

"It's a pleasure to see you again as well, Edward," she said in her gorgeous bell voice. "Mother, father, I would like you to meet Edward Masen. Edward, I'd like you to meet my parents."

I shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Swan. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Swan," I told them.

"It's nice to meet you too, Edward," Mrs. Swan replied. Mr. Swan simply nodded.

"Now allow me to introduce you to my parents, Isabella. Mother, father, I'd like you to meet Isabella Swan and her parents. Isabella, Mr. and Mrs. Swan, I'd like you to meet my parents." Isabella extended her hand and shook my parents' hands. Once she finished, her parents stepped up and said hello.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Masen," Mr. Swan said. "I'm Charlie, and this is my wife, Renee."

"It's nice to meet you both," my father said. "I'm Edward Sr. and this is my wife, Elizabeth." Our parents shook hands.

"So shall we head out to ride?" my mother asked.

"Sure," Renee answered. Everyone else nodded in agreement and we headed for our carriages. Soon we were pulling up beside one of my family's favorite places to go riding. It was a wide open field with a lake at one end – perfect for a long ride followed by a picnic or a swim. Our six horses stood waiting for us. Immediately, I walked over and took the reins of my horses, Snowflake and Thunder, and led them towards Isabella.

"These are my horses, Snowflake and Thunder," I told her. Isabella reached out a hand and slowly stroked Snowflake's neck. Snowflake responded by twisting her head to look at Isabella. "I think she likes you," I said. "Here, hold out your hand so she can get to know you better." Hesitantly, she held out her hand. Snowflake nuzzled her nose into Isabella's hand and I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, she likes you."

Isabella smiled. "Which horse am I riding?" she asked.

"Well, since Snowflake likes you, why don't you ride her?" I suggested. She nodded and climbed into the saddle. I climbed into Thunder's saddle and we turned to look at our parents. They were seated on the other horses, waiting for us.

"Are you two ready?" my father asked. We nodded and he started off through the field, my mother beside him, Mr. and Mrs. Swan behind them, and Isabella and I in the very back. For an hour or so we rode in this little group, talking and enjoying the beautiful day. Finally I decided I was ready for a little alone time with Isabella. We were about a mile from the lake, the perfect distance for racing. _That's it!_

I turned to Isabella. "Would you care to race, Isabella?" I asked her, excited.

"If our parents are fine with us racing, I would love to," she answered. _Yes!_

"Mother, father, is it okay if Isabella and I race to the lake?" Edward asked.

My mother glanced at my father and Isabella's parents. All three indicated that they had no objections to the race. "Of course, dears," my mother said. We maneuvered our horses to the front of the group and prepared to race.

"Ready?" I asked her. She nodded. "On your marks, get set, GO!" I spurred Thunder on and we shot off ahead of the group. A flash of white beside me made me realize that Isabella was right beside me, keeping perfect time with Thunder and me. _Wow, she's a good horseback rider,_ I thought. I spurred Thunder faster, hoping to get an extra burst of speed. Luck was with me and I was able to pull ahead of Isabella.

I rode up to the lake and dismounted quickly. I led Thunder over to the lake and let him drink. I heard hoof beats behind me and turned around just as Isabella and Snowflake rode up beside me and stopped. I offered Isabella my hand and helped her down from the saddle. When she landed, she tripped. Instantly, I wrapped my arms around her waist to keep her from tripping. I helped her straighten up, but didn't let go of her. The way she fit so perfectly in my arms was heavenly. I looked down at her, a smile blooming on my face. She looked up at me and blushed, smiling. I looked into her chocolate brown eyes and once again found myself lost in them.

I don't know how long we stood like that. Suddenly, hoof beats reached our ears, shattering the calm that had enveloped us. Reluctantly, I let go of Isabella and took hold of Snowflake's reins, leading her to the lake. When I turned around, our parents were busy dismounting from their horses and leading them to the lake. I hurried forward to help.

While the horses rested, we spread out a few blankets and sat, talking. After half and hour, we packed up the blankets and rode back to the main road. We left the horses in the care of their handlers and returned to my house. The Swans stayed for a few more minutes before declaring that they should be heading home. My parents and I exchanged goodbyes with Mr. and Mrs. Swan and Isabella.

"Thank you for inviting us, Edward," Isabella said as she told me goodbye. "I had a lot of fun."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Isabella," I told her with a smile. "Will I see you again soon?"

"I can only hope so," she said softly.

I laughed and lifted her hand to my lips, placing a tender kiss on her fingertips. "Until next time, Isabella."

"Goodbye, Edward." She turned and joined her parents in their carriage. I watched them go, then turned back towards my parents. They stood by the door, watching me. They both seemed very pleased about something.

I eyed them quizzically. "Yes, mother, father?" I asked.

"Nothing, son," my father said. "We're just happy you've found such a lovely young lady to court. Isabella is a fine woman and I can tell you two will be very happy together.

I stared at my father puzzled. What in the world was he talking about? Suddenly, I realized what my parents had assumed. My eyes widened in shock. "Mother, father, it is like that. I'm not courting Isabella. She is simply a friend." _I wish it were true though,_ I added in my mind.

My mother smiled serenely and walked over to me. She put her hand on my cheek and gently brushed her thumb under my eye. "You may not be courting her, Edward, but your father and I can see how much you care for her. The way you look at her… well, it's very clear in your eyes that you care deeply for Isabella. Am I right?" I nodded. "Don't be ashamed, Edward. I know you're skeptical about things like love, but this is natural."

"Was skeptical," I corrected my mother. "I was skeptical. Now, I've met Isabella. Now I know there is such a thing as love."

My father walked over to us and wrapped an arm around my mother's shoulders. "We're glad you're opening up to the idea, son. Whatever is between you and Isabella is very strong. Tend to it properly and you could have something truly miraculous on your hands, Edward. We'll do what we can to help you, but ultimately this is something you have to do on your own."

"I know," I said. As much as I hated it, I knew it was true. This was the one time my parents couldn't help me. I had to find a way to get what I wanted – in this case, Isabella – on my own. And I would. I care for her and I was never going to let her go.

**Ok, now that that's over, I have two favors I need to ask from you guys.**

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	6. A Friendly Rivalry

**Here it is.... Chapter 6!**

Chapter 6 – A Friendly Rivalry (Emmett's POV)

I sighed, bored beyond belief. Edward and Jasper were both occupied for the next few days, leaving me with nothing to do and no one to pass the time with. Sure, I had other friends besides them, but I didn't enjoy spending time with them. I didn't have the same bond with them as I did with Edward and Jasper. I sighed again. There had to be somebody else …. Suddenly, I remembered a Cullen party several weeks ago. We had met three girls: Alice, Isabella, and …. Rosalie. _That's it!_ I remembered the enlightening conversation Rosalie and I had and how much we had enjoyed being in each other's company. _I'll invite Rosalie over to…to do what?_ _I know, I'll invite Rosalie and her parents to join me and my parents for a game of croquet. Brilliant!_

I raced down the stairs and quickly asked my parents if we could invite the Hales over for a game of croquet. Three minutes later, I was racing back up the stairs to my room and frantically searching for paper and a pen. _Dear Rosalie,_ I wrote. _I very much enjoyed spending part of my evening at the Cullen's party with you. You are a charming young lady and I am sure my parents would benefit greatly from meeting you. Please join us tomorrow at my house for a game of croquet. Please bring your parents. Sincerely, Emmett._ I sealed the letter in an envelope and ran downstairs. I gave it to a messenger and told him to bring it to Rosalie.

Two hours later, I received a response from Rosalie. The minute I was alone, I tore open the envelope frantically and read the letter. _Dear Emmett, _she wrote. _Thank you for your compliment. I too enjoyed your company that night and would love to see you again. My parents and I will be at your house at three o'clock tomorrow. Until tomorrow, Rosalie._ I couldn't stop a goofy smile from stretching across my face. Rosalie was coming to my house tomorrow! I hadn't wanted to say so in my letter, but I really wanted to see her again. She was just… amazing. Headstrong, independent, but still fragile and in need of protection. Suddenly, I couldn't wait for it to be tomorrow.

_**The next day…**_

By two forty five I was outside, waiting for Rosalie and her parents to arrive. I knew they weren't supposed to be here for fifteen more minutes, but I was just too eager to wait inside. Besides, what if she came early? I had to be waiting out here for her when she did.

At three o'clock on the dot, a carriage turned into our driveway. I ran over to the front door and yelled inside to my parents that the Hales were here. They came outside and joined me in waiting for our guests. The carriage pulled up in front of the door and stopped. A handsome blond man, presumably Rosalie's father, climbed out of the carriage first. He turned around and helped an equally attractive blond woman from the carriage. Then Rosalie appeared. At first, her attention was occupied by getting out of the carriage. Then she looked up and saw me. She smiled and I smiled back.

Rosalie and her parents walked over to me and my parents. I took her hand and kissed her fingertips. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Rosalie," I told her.

"It's a pleasure to see you again as well, Emmett," she replied. "Mother, father, I'd like you to meet Emmett McCarty. Emmett, I'd like you to meet my parents."

"It's nice to meet you, Emmett," Mr. Hale said. I shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you both as well," I replied. "You have a very lovely daughter." To my delight, Rosalie blushed.

Mrs. Hale laughed. "We think so too," she said.

I laughed as well. "Mother, father, I'd like you to meet my friend Rosalie Hale and her parents."

"It's nice to meet you, Rosalie, dear," my mother said.

"It's nice to meet you too," Rosalie said.

"Shall we head to the backyard and commence the game of croquet?" my father asked.

"We shall," Mr. Hale agreed. We walked to the backyard and found a croquet game ready and waiting. Six mallets stood at the ready, with six croquet balls lined up in color order. We chose balls and began to play. The game was light and friendly and resulted in lots of laughter and fun.

It was my turn. Rosalie was one move away from winning. All of our parents had already tried unsuccessfully to stop her, but they hadn't succeeded. It was all up to me. I lined up my mallet and my ball and swung. **Click. **Rosalie looked up, startled to see her ball rolling away, mine sitting where hers had been.

"Emmett, it seems you have roqueted Rosalie's ball," my mother said. "What would you like to do?"

I paused for a second, thinking. I bent down and picked up my ball, moving it so it sat beside Rosalie's. I place my foot on my ball and aimed my mallet. I swung, satisfied when my mallet hit with a resounding **Crack. **Rosalie's ball shot off into the woods behind our yard. I took a second shot, then looked at Rosalie. She was livid. "I'm sorry, Rosalie," I said sheepishly.

"I can't believe you would do that to me, Emmett," she said quietly. Her eyes and voice were filled with a mixture of hurt and anger and I immediately felt remorse. She turned around and stalked off into the woods.

"I'm going to go help Rosalie look for her ball," I said, before chasing after her. As I hurried into the woods behind her, I wondered why Rosalie was so mad. Was this really about me roqueting her ball? _Of course not, you idiot. She's mad because she thought you care, yet you act like you don't. You're treating her like you would treat Edward and Jasper. Tune down the competitiveness._ I saw a flash of yellow up ahead and raced towards it. "Rosalie!" I called. She turned.

"I don't want to talk to you, Emmett," she snapped and disappeared into the trees. I raced after her and grabbed her wrist. She turned. "What do you want, Emmett?"

"I want to apologize," I told her. She didn't answer. "I realize that what I did was wrong. I hurt your feelings and I'm sorry." I paused again, but Rosalie still didn't speak. "Aren't you going to say something?" No answer. "Fine, Rosalie." I let go of her wrist and walked away.

The soft pattering of footsteps behind me informed me that Rosalie was chasing after me. "Emmett!" she called. I stopped, but didn't turn to look at her. I felt her place her hand on my arm, but I still wouldn't look at her. "Emmett," she said again. This time I turned to look at her. Our eyes met and she recoiled, looking away. "I'm sorry, Emmett," she said without meeting my eyes. "I'm sorry that I acted like a vain, pompous brat. I should have forgiven you. I do forgive you. I didn't mean to hurt you, Emmett. I'm sorry." She looked up at me again and purple met brown.

I looked at her, but didn't speak. There wasn't anything to say. I felt her hand slide off my arm and she turned away, a single tear sliding down her cheek. At the sight of her tear, I couldn't keep the façade of anger up anymore. I reached out and wiped the tear off of Rosalie's cheek. She turned to look at me hesitantly. I held out my hand to her, smiling softly. Cautiously, she placed her hand in mine. I pulled her closer to me, into my chest, and wrapped my arms around her. To my delight, she leaned her head against me with a sigh.

I don't know how long we stood there. Suddenly, I heard my mother calling us. "Emmett? Rosalie?"

"Yes, mother?" I called back to her.

"Have you found the ball yet?"

"Not yet. We'll keep looking." Reluctantly, I let go off Rosalie. She lifted her head up and sighed in disappointment. I chuckled and took her hand. "Come on," I said. "Let's go look for you croquet ball." Hands intertwined, we searched among the brush for the ball. A flash of red in the shape of a sphere caught my eye and I bent over. "Aha!" I straightened up and showed Rosalie the red croquet ball in my hand. She smiled and we began walking towards the edge of the woods. When the trees began to thin, I let go of her hand and she pouted. _She looks so pretty when she pouts._

We returned to the adults and continued the game. Despite having her ball knocked out, Rosalie managed to make a remarkable recovery and won. When the game was over and the equipment put away, we walked back around to the front of the house. To my dismay, the Hales' carriage was waiting. Mr. and Mrs. Hale said their goodbyes quickly and got into the carriage. Rosalie took her time, thanking my parents heartily before turning to me.

"Thank you for inviting me, Emmett," she told me. "I had a wonderful time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Rosalie," I replied. "Will I see you again soon?"

"I believe that can be arranged," she answered. I smiled and placed a kiss on her fingertips. Wordlessly, I helped her into her carriage and watched her go. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see my parents standing behind me. "Yes, mother, father?" I asked them.

"You really like Rosalie, don't you son?" my father asked me.

I sighed. There was no sense in denying it. "Yes, I do. She is unlike any other woman I have ever met."

"Do you think that, maybe someday, you and Rosalie will…?" My mother didn't finish her question, but I knew what she was asking.

"I can only hope so, mother," I said. "I can only hope."

**I hope you guys are enjoying this. More soon.**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	7. Past and Present

**Please don't kill me! I tried to update yesterday, but fanfic wouldn't let me. I'm really sorry!**

Chapter 7 – Past and Present (Jasper's POV)

_Somebody please save me before I die of boredom._ I can't believe my luck. I was stuck having dinner with my parents' friends Amun and Tia, their son, Benjamin, and his wife, Kebi. While I enjoyed their company and was fascinated by their stories of life in Egypt, tonight I wanted nothing more than to be anywhere but here.

"Tell me, do you three know the Brandon family?" Amun asked. The name struck a familiar chord in my mind, but I couldn't place it.

"No, I don't think we do," my father said.

"Oh, that's a shame," Tia said. "They are lovely people."

"Do they have children?" my mother asked.

"I believe so," Benjamin said. "Four of them. Two sons, but they both are married already and don't live in Forks."

"And two daughters," Kebi added. "Both very beautiful girls. The elder daughter's name is Cynthia, but I can't remember the younger girl's name. Something with an A…" Suddenly, I realized why the name Brandon was so familiar and who the younger daughter was.

"Alice," I said to everyone's surprise. "Her name is Alice."

"Oh, that's right. Alice," Kebi said. "How did you know that, Jasper?"

"Carlisle and Esme introduced us at a party several weeks ago," I answered.

"How old are Alice and Cynthia?" my father asked.

"Alice is about Jasper's age, and Cynthia is a few years older. She got married a few years ago to the tailor's oldest son," Amun said.

"They just had their second child last month," Tia added. "A daughter. Their son is now four, soon to be five."

"How nice," my mother said. "While we're on the topic of children, Kebi, are you and Benjamin considering children yet?"

"Well…" Kebi said, looking unsurely at Benjamin. "Benjamin and I actually have some news."

"Yes?" prodded Amun.

Kebi hesitated. Benjamin took her hand and smiled at her. "I'm… I'm pregnant," Kebi said.

"Congratulations," we all cried. The adults began asking Benjamin and Kebi questions galore about everything. I tuned them out and prayed that this would soon be over.

_**The next day…**_

"Jasper, dear, could you come here for a minute?" my mother called.

I hurried to the sitting room. "Yes, mother, father?"

"Jasper, you mother and I were wondering if you would object to us inviting the Brandons over for dinner tomorrow night. From what Amun, Tia, Benjamin, and Kebi said, they are lovely people and we would like to meet them," my father said.

I couldn't believe my ears. My parents wanted to invite Alice and her family over for dinner? "I would love that," I said. "Would you two mind if I sent a letter to Alice inviting them?"

"Not at all," my mother said. I smiled and raced upstairs. I grabbed a pen and paper from my desk and began to write. _Dear Alice,_ I wrote. _I was at a friend's house for dinner last night, and your family was brought up. Of course, I immediately thought of you, and how long it has been since we last saw each other. I then remember you mentioning that you thought our families would benefit from meeting each other. I agree whole-heartedly; therefore, it would be my pleasure if you and your parents would join me and my parents for dinner tomorrow night. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Jasper. _Satisfied, I raced downstairs and had a messenger send the letter.

I sat in the sitting room, discussing the latest news from the Civil War with my parents when our butler came in and handed me a letter. Immediately I opened it and was delighted to find a response from Alice. _Dear Jasper,_ she wrote. _I am flattered that the mention of my family immediately brings me to your mind. I'm also flattered that you remember the night we first met so well. I am thrilled that you agree with my statement from that night. I would like to accept your invitation for dinner tomorrow night. My family and I will be at your house at 5 o'clock for supper. Until then, Alice._ I smiled as I read it.

"Good news, Jasper?" my father asked.

"Wonderful news," I replied. "The Brandons will be over at five o'clock tomorrow for dinner."

"How wonderful," my mother said. "I'd better go talk to our chef about the menu." She hurried off.

My father eyed me speculatively. "You seem very excited by the news, Jasper. Is there a reason you are so eager to see Alice again?"

"Well," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Alice is a caring person. She understands the difficulties we faced back home in Texas. I trust her."

My father nodded. "I think I understand now."

_**The next day…**_

At five o'clock sharp, I heard carriage wheels rumbling up the driveway. Doors opened and shut and I heard voices from the entrance hall. The next thing I knew, there was a knock on my bedroom door. I raced over and opened it to see our butler. "Mr. Whitlock, your guests are here." I nodded my thanks and hurried to find my parents. Together, we proceeded to the sitting room. When we entered, I found Alice studying a painting hanging right by the entrance. I was about to speak to her when my mother spoke.

"So you must be Alice Brandon," she said with a big smile. Alice turned.

"That would be me," she answered in her gorgeous soprano voice. She stepped forward and kissed my mother's cheeks. "How did you know?"

"Jasper described you perfectly," my mother answered. "I thought he was exaggerating, of course, but you are as beautiful as he said." I blushed. I could not believe my mother had said that. A quick look at Alice confirmed that she was blushing too.

"Mother," I said in a strangled voice. Alice looked at me and laughed softly, no doubt finding my blush amusing.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alice," my father said. "I've heard many lovely things about you from my son." I felt my cheeks flame again.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Whitlock," she said. "May I introduce my parents?" My parents stepped around Alice to shake hands with her parents. She waited long enough to ensure they were occupied, then turned to me. I took her hand and kissed her fingertips, lingering longer than I should have. Fortunately, she didn't stop me.

"It's so lovely to see you again, Alice," I said. "You look beautiful, as always."

"Thank you, Jasper. It's wonderful to see you again, too," she answered.

"So what piece of art had you so utterly fascinated before?" I asked.

"It was the portrait of you," she confessed, looking embarrassed. I laughed and opened my mouth to respond. Unfortunately, at that exact second, our butler appeared and announced that dinner was served. Like a good Southern gentleman, I offered Alice my arm and we walked to the dining room together. I helped her into her seat and then sat down next to her. All of us immediately fell into a conversation about the current politics. To my surprise, Alice was well informed about what was going in and always had something intelligent to say. It amazed me to no end.

Towards the end of dinner, we started discussing family origins. "Mrs. Whitlock, I noticed all three of you bear a Southern accent," Mrs. Brandon commented. "Where in the South are you from?"

"We're originally from Texas," my mother replied.

"Why did you leave?" Mr. Brandon asked.

"Our family has had some bad histories with wars, and we didn't want our only son to have to face the horrors of battle," my father replied.

"I see what Alice meant when she said our families were alike," Mr. Brandon said. "Our family too has had a bad history with war. We too escaped from our home to save our children."

"We're from Mississippi," Alice clarified.

My parents looked at Mr. Brandon. "What do you mean, children?" my father asked.

"The men of our family are not the only ones who have suffered due to wartime," Mr. Brandon answered somberly. "My mother – Alice's grandmother – was unfortunately raped by an American soldier during the War of 1812." I was stunned. The shock I felt was echoed on my parents' faces. I thought about the story my father had told me about my grandfather. It was no secret in the family that he had raped a poor young woman in Mississippi while serving in the army during the War of 1812. But what were the odds that it was Alice grandmother who he had raped? Just because all the facts lined up didn't mean it was true. It could easily have been someone else. Alice looked at me, puzzled, and I looked away. Tactfully, she changed the subject.

The rest of the meal passed without incident and soon we were heading back towards the sitting room for coffee. As we walked, Alice looked over at me. "You know, Jasper, your family has such a lovely house," she cooed.

"Thank you Alice," I said with a smile. I realized that I had a window of opportunity to get to spend a little time with Alice and I seized it immediately. "Would you like a tour?"

"I would love that," she said.

I looked over at our parents. "Would anyone care to join us?" I asked. The adults declined. I turned back to Alice. "I guess it's just you and me," I said and she smiled. I began showing her around my home, pointing out various things of interest, like paintings or sculptures. After we finished the main house, I led her outside to the gardens and began showing her them. We winded through beautiful flower bushes and tall hedges until we reached a small fountain. Around this fountain were several benches. I led her towards one and we sat down. For a little while, neither of us spoke. I thought over what had happened at dinner in my mind. Out of nowhere, something came to me. Why was this the first time I was hearing about Alice's grandmother? She had said that she had trusted me that night, but she hadn't told me the whole story. I felt anger bubbling in me.

"Alice, do you remember the first night we met?" I asked her, trying to stay calm.

"Yes," she said.

"And do you remember what we talked about?" I said softly, watching her. She nodded. I turned away from her and continued to speak. "I was so shocked when I first met you, Alice. I had never seen you before, didn't even know your name, but there was still this undeniable feeling of trust between us. I knew I could trust you and that you trusted me." I looked at her, my anger leaking out. "And now, I find out that you didn't even trust me enough to tell me the whole story!" She gasped and I looked away from her.

For a few seconds, Alice didn't speak. "Jasper, I'm sorry," she began. "I should have told you about my grandmother when we met. You're right. But there's a reason I didn't tell you this when we met. There was a piece of information my parents didn't disclose when they told the story, however brief. You see," I heard her fighting for control of her voice and I looked at her. "We know the name of the soldier who…" she faltered. "Who raped my grandmother." I looked up and saw tears silently falling down her cheeks. I pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. She took it and began to dry her eyes.

"What was the soldier's name?" I asked her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I was already sure that it was my grandfather – why else would she be reluctant to tell me? – but I wanted confirmation.

She swallowed and hesitating. "Private Whitlock," she whispered finally. She looked up at me and seemed surprised by my calm demeanor.

"Alice, do you remember the very first thing you said to me the first time we met?" I asked her.

She hesitated. "I asked you why you had rescued me from Mr. Yorkie," she answered.

"Do you remember my answer?"

"You said that the way he was acting was no way to treat a lady like me."

"What if there was another reason?" Alice looked up at me, surprised. I reached out and took her hands in mine before continuing. "Alice, it was never a secret in my family that my grandfather had raped someone during his service in the War of 1812. When he came home, he was very proud of what he had done. He was proud that he had raped this poor girl from Mississippi. My great-grandmother was shocked. When my grandfather married and had my father, she made sure that he was raised to respect women. She wanted to ensure that he wouldn't do what my grandfather did. When he was old enough, she explained the story to him and told him that if he had a son, he was to do the same thing she did for him." I stopped for a second and looked at her, gauging her reaction to all this. "My dad was horrified by his father's actions. When I was born, he was terrified I would become like my grandfather. He took every precaution to ensure that I would never mistreat a woman in my life. That's why I had to rescue you from Mr. Yorkie. Watching him brought the story of my grandfather's actions back to my mind. I was appalled that anyone would be so impolite to a woman, especially one like you. I always make sure that I'm polite to any female I meet. I guess it's because I think that I can remedy my grandfather's actions through my own. It's kind of foolish, really."

"I don't think it's foolish," she told me.

"You don't?" I asked, surprised.

"On the contrary, I think it's very smart. It shows that you're a true gentleman. Besides, if you weren't such a gentleman, we wouldn't be here. Together." She looked up at me, waiting for my response.

I didn't answer. Instead, I pulled her closer, so she was sitting in my lap, and wrapped my arms around her. She leaned her head against my shoulder and I smiled. We sat like this for a while as the sky got progressively darker. Finally, I spoke. "I think we should go back inside," I told her. Reluctantly, she lifted her head off my shoulder. He dropped his arms and I climbed off of his lap. We walked back inside. Rejoining the adults, we talked for another hour before Alice's parents decided it was time for them to go. We went outside to wait for their carriage. When it came, Mr. and Mrs. Brandon said their goodbyes and entered the carriage. Alice said goodbye to my parents before turning to me.

"Thank you for inviting us, Jasper," Alice said. "Supper was lovely and I had a fabulous time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Alice," I said as I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her fingertips. "I hope I can see you again soon."

"I'm sure we can arrange that," she said with a smile. I smiled back at her and helped her into her carriage. They set off and I remained in my spot, watching them until they rounded the corner and disappeared. Turning back towards the house, I bade my parents good night and went upstairs to Alice-filled dreams.

**Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Also, I have a new story out: a one-shot song-fic based around "Never Think" by Rob Pattinson. The title's 'Never Think'. Shocker, huh? Anways, go check it out and review!**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	8. I Won't Say I'm in Love

**Don't kill me! I'm sorry I didn't update last week; I was away and couldn't get a hold of a computer to update with. But I promise to make it up to you guys. If you give me a lot of reviews, I pinky-promise to post another chapter before Sunday night. Okay?**

**And now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado.... Chapter 8!**

Chapter 8 – I Won't Say I'm In Love (Edward's POV)

_**One month later…**_

I sat at my piano, playing the same unfamiliar melody from the day I had gone horseback riding with Isabella. Only now, it was completely familiar. In the past month, it had morphed into a full song, one of my own compositions. It was her song, no, her lullaby. Isabella's Lullaby. Subconsciously, I knew I had written it for her, but aloud, I would never admit it. That would mean admitting the one thing I had been trying so hard to deny. My true feelings.

My fingers hit a wrong note. I sighed, turning away from the keys and burying my head in my hands. _Why am I fighting this so hard? Why won't I just admit the truth? Why won't I just accept it?_ I sighed, the answer already there, unspoken. I wouldn't admit the truth and would keep fighting because I didn't think it could be true. I didn't think that I, Edward Masen, the biggest cynic about love, could be feeling the one emotion which I didn't believe existed. I couldn't be in love with Isabella. I just couldn't.

I sighed again. So how did I explain the bizarre need to always be with her, the feeling of pain that came every time I had to leave her, the way my mind just wouldn't leave her alone, the lullaby I had written for her? There was no other way to explain it. I was in love with her.

Immediately, I felt the invisible weight that had been on me disappear. Now that I had accepted the truth and acknowledged that I loved Isabella, I felt lighter, freer. I had to tell her. But how? I didn't want to just go up to her and tell her, "Isabella, I love you." No, I wanted it to be special. Something sweet and romantic that she would always remember. But what?

Aimlessly, I wandered over to the window overlooking the backyard, searching for inspiration. My eyes settled on a small path between the trees and I had a burst of inspiration. My meadow. Nobody else knew it was there, only me. It was my place – and soon it would be hers too. I couldn't think of anything I could want more than for Isabella and I to have a place that was just ours. I would take her to the meadow and tell her there. No, I had to do something more than that…. A picnic! I would take her to the meadow for a picnic and then I would tell her. Perfect. Immediately, I raced off to find my parents and ask them if it was okay. I also sent a brief letter to Mr. and Mrs. Swan asking them if it was okay. Within the hour, I had approval from both my parents and hers. Unfortunately, by then it was too late; the sun had already started to set. _Tomorrow,_ I told myself. _Tomorrow you'll invite her over and you'll tell her._

_**The next day…**_

I woke up the next day, excited. I was finally going to tell Isabella the truth. I hurried to my desk and immediately began writing a letter to her. As I drew a pen and paper towards me, I realized that I should have given her more warning. She probably already had plans for the day. _Stupid_, I chided myself._ Well, it won't hurt to try, will it?_ I started to write. _Dear Isabella,_ I wrote. _I apologize for the lack of advanced warning but I would like to invite you to join me for a picnic today. I have a surprise for you that I think you'll enjoy. Your friend, Edward. P.S. I have already confirmed our plans with both of our parents._

I hurried downstairs and had a messenger send the letter to Isabella. I went back upstairs and began to get dressed, taking care to make sure I looked my best. I was busy picking out a shirt to wear when I heard a knock on my door. I slipped on a robe and hurried to answer it. Reuben stood in the doorway, a letter in his hand. "Mr. Masen, this letter just arrived for you from one Miss Isabella Swan." He handed me the letter.

"Thank you, Reuben," I said. Reuben turned and walked away and I shut the door. I turned my attention to the letter, tearing it open and reading it quickly. _Dear Edward,_ Isabella had written, _I forgive you for your lack of advanced warning. Fortunately, I am not busy today and would love to join you for a picnic. I will be at your house at twelve o'clock sharp. I look forward to seeing your surprise. Your friend, Isabella._ I smiled triumphantly. Everything was going perfectly. I finished getting dressed in a hurry and rushed to the kitchen to prepare some food.

By eleven fifty five, I stood outside my house, picnic basket at my feet, waiting for Isabella. I was so anxious to see her again. Five minutes later, I saw a carriage turn into our driveway. I recognized it instantly as the Swans' carriage. It pulled up in front of my house and I raced forward to help Isabella out. As soon as her feet were on the ground, I kissed her fingertips. After a few seconds, I knew I should stop, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. "Weren't we supposed to be going on a picnic, Edward?" Isabella asked me, her bell voice cutting the silence like a knife.

I laughed and straightened up. "I do believe you're right," I said. I picked up the picnic basket and took her hand. Together, we walked around the side of the house and towards the path to the meadow. Isabella saw the trees and I saw her glance at them nervously. I laughed, remembering her clumsiness. "Don't worry," I reassured her. "It's not that far and there's a path." I gestured to the path and led her towards it. Hand in hand, we began to walk through the woods.

We reached the two fern branches that guarded the entrance to my most secret place. I pushed them aside and led Isabella into the meadow. She gasped and her jaw dropped. I smiled slightly. I remembered the first time I had found this place. The small, circular meadow with its purple, yellow, and soft white wildflowers and the sound of a stream as music. I had been in shock. I hadn't been sure that it was real until I found it again. Now, I was sharing it with the girl I love. Isabella turned to look at me, still shocked.

"Do you like it?" I asked her.

"It's beautiful," she said. "How did you find it?"

"I was wandering one day and I found it." I shrugged, hoping to convey the attitude that it was no big deal, even though my heart was swelling with joy. She thought our meadow was beautiful! "It's no big deal. Shall we set up the picnic and eat?" Working together, we laid out the blanket and set up the food. We started to eat. When we were done, we simply sat there and talked. We talked about everything – Isabella was highly opinionated and talking to her was a delight. Occasionally, I was tempted to tell her the real reason I had brought her here, but I never could.

"Edward?" she asked me.

"Yes, Isabella?" I said.

"Edward, please, call me Bella."

"Yes, Bella?"

"Didn't you say you had a surprise for me?"

"Yes, I did. Would you like to know what it is?"

"If you're ready to show me what it is, I'm ready to see it."

"Okay then, Bella." I turned to look at her, angling my body so I was facing her. She shifted her body too, so she was facing me. I reached out towards her and took her hands in mine. I had run out of time. I had to tell her.

"Bella, there's something I need to tell you," I said. I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Not yet.

"What is it, Edward?" She asked me.

"Bella, I…" I hesitated. I looked up and met her brown eyes, suddenly finding the confidence to tell her the truth. "I love you, Bella." She didn't answer me and I panicked. "If you don't feel the same way, Bella, I understand," I said hurriedly. "I just thought that…"

"No, Edward, wait," she interrupted me. "You just caught me off-guard, that's all. Of course I love you, Edward."

My heart soared. She loves me too! "I'm glad to know that, Bella," I said. I pulled her closer to me so she was snuggled against my side. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close. We started talking again, and I couldn't help but smile.

The sky overhead grew darker as the hours past. Finally, I told Bella that she should go home before her parents started to worry. Reluctantly, we packed up the picnic. I walked Bella back to her carriage and saw that she was safely on her way home. I turned around and walked back into my house. As I trailed to the kitchen, my mother stopped me. "Edward, there you are," she said. "I haven't seen you all afternoon. Where were you?"

"I'm sorry, mother, I was with Isabella," I apologized.

"It's okay, Edward. I just hope you haven't forgotten that the Denalis are coming over soon. Garrett too."

"No, mother, I didn't forget," I lied. "How soon will they be here?"

"They should be here in half an hour."

"I'll be ready and waiting in twenty minutes." I hurried to the kitchen and unloaded the picnic basket, then raced up stairs to get ready.

**Oooh.... something wicked is brewing in Forks. I would know; I'm the one cooking it up. Anywhoodles, please review! You'll get another chapter if you do!**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	9. A Mid Night Walk

**Hi guys! So, by know you all have probably noticed that I changed the story's title. Point blank, I found the old title boring and like this one better. It's still the same story line. Well, mostly. That's because this chapter is.... drum roll please.... NEW MATERIAL!!! Yes, that's right. Chapter 9 is all new material, not seen in A Different Kind of World. So enjoy!**

Chapter 9 – A Mid-night Walk (Edward's POV)

By seven o'clock, my parents and I were in the sitting room, waiting for our guests. Not two minutes later, Reuben came into the room and announced the Denalis' arrival. He left the room and a minute later, Mrs. Denali walked in, her three daughters behind her.

"Sasha, darling, how are you?" my mother cooed. She stood up and walked over to Mrs. Denali, air kissing her cheeks.

"I'm fine, Elizabeth, thank you for asking," Mrs. Denali replied. "How are you, Edward Sr.?"

"Good, thank you," my father said. He stood and kissed Mrs. Denali's hand. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence tonight. Will Mr. Denali be joining us?"

"Unfortunately not," Mrs. Denali said somberly. "He is away on business."

"And what about young Vasilii?" my mother asked. "Where is he?"

"He is at home, with the nanny," Mrs. Denali replied. "He isn't feeling well."

"That's rather unfortunate," my father said. "We are glad the four of you could join us, though."

Mrs. Denali smiled and looked at me. I took that as my cue to greet our guests. I stood up and kissed her hand. "It's a pleasure to see you, Mrs. Denali."

"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Edward," Mrs. Denali said. "I trust you've been well?"

"Indeed," I replied. She nodded her head and turned to my parents. I realized that she was finished with me – for now – and turned to her daughters, Tanya, Irina, and Kate. Fraternal triplets, they had similar looks, but different personalities. They all had their mother's blond hair, but in varying shades, and their father's dark eyes. Kate, the 'oldest' had pale blonde hair, long and straight. She was the calmest, until provoked. Then she was the most vicious of the three. Irina, the 'middle' sister, had pale, pale blond hair, paler than her sister's. It was so light it could be considered silver. Like Kate's, it was straight, but she wore hers shorter. Irina was the one who held grudges. Angering her was never a smart move. Tanya, the 'youngest' had strawberry blond hair, curly and long. Though she was the 'baby' of the three, she was the leader. She was determined to have her way, but very sweet.

Tanya, Irina, and Kate held out their hands, and I kissed each of their fingertips. "Tanya, Irina, Kate," I greeted them. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"It's wonderful to see you too, Edward," Tanya said. "How are you?"

"I am fine, Tanya, thank you for asking," I replied. "I trust the three of you have been well."

"Indeed we have," Kate answered, a small, secretive smile on her face.

"Aren't you going to share your good news, Kate?" I asked her.

"In due time," she replied.

"We know you live for drama, Kate, but I think you can tell Edward," Irina protested.

"It's fine, Irina. I'll wait until Kate is ready to share her news," I said.

"Will we be eating soon?" I heard Mrs. Denali ask my parents.

"We are just waiting for one more guest, then we will begin," my father replied.

Reuben walked into the room. "Mr. Masen, Mr. Nomad has arrived." I smiled, pleasantly surprised. Oddly, this sense of pleasant surprise was echoed on Kate's face, though she quickly tried to hide it. I was puzzled. Did Kate know Garrett?

"Show him in, please," my father answered. Reuben turned and walked out of the room. A minute later, a tall man with sandy hair walked into the room. He walked over to my parents. "Edward Sr.," he said, shaking my father's hand.

"Garrett," my father replied. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you," he replied. He turned to my mother and kissed her hand. "Elizabeth, you looking stunning tonight."

"Thank you, Garrett," my mother replied. "Have you met Mrs. Denali before?"

"I believe so," Garrett responded, kissing Mrs. Denali's hand. "You are a friend of my parents, are you not?"

"Yes, I am," Mrs. Denali answered. "Will they be joining us?"

"I'm afraid not, but I will send them your regards."

"Thank you. Have you met my daughters yet?"

"I cannot say that I have." Garrett turned, taking in the three Denali sisters. His gaze lingered on Kate for longer than necessary and my suspicions were confirmed. Kate and Garrett knew each other somehow.

Garrett kissed each of their fingertips, starting with Tanya and finishing with Irina. He lingered the longest over Kate's. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ladies," Garrett said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Nomad," Kate replied. Tanya and Irina nodded.

"Ladies, I beg of you, please call me Garrett," Garrett requested. "And may I know your names?"

"I'm Kate, and these are my sisters, Tanya and Irina," Kate said.

"A pleasure," Garrett said. "I look forward to getting to know you three better. That is, if Edward is willing to share." He smiled mischievously in my direction.

I laughed and quickly embraced my friend. "Even if I didn't share, you'd still have your pick of ladies, Garrett," I teased him. Reuben came into the room at that moment and announced that dinner was served. Garrett and I offered our arms to Tanya, Irina, and Kate. Kate took Garrett's, while Tanya and Irina took mine. We walked into the dining room and helped them into their seats before sitting ourselves.

Once we were all seated and wine poured, Mrs. Denali stood. "Before we begin, I have an announcement to make," she said. "It is my pleasure to announce that Kate is engaged."

"Congratulations," my parents and I said. "Who is the lucky gentleman?"

Mrs. Denali didn't answer. Garrett smiled. "That would be me," he said.

We all said, "Congratulations" once more and then began to eat.

Dinner pasted quickly. Within two hours, we found ourselves back in the sitting room. We sat and talked. With every minute that pasted, I started to feel more and more confined. Finally, I could take it no longer. I needed to leave, but without causing any problems. I looked out the window. It was a rare, clear night in Forks, perfect for going for a walk. I turned to the Denali sisters. "Ladies, I must admit that I'm longing to get outdoors, and it is such a fine night out, it would be a shame to waste it. Would any of you like to join me for a short walk?"

"I'm going to decline," Irina said.

"Do you want to go, Kate?" Garrett asked.

"I think I'm going to stay, but you can go if you'd like," Kate replied.

"No, I'll stay," he said.

Tanya stood. "I'll join you, Edward," she said. She slid on her coat and followed me outside. We started walking up the street. I offered her my arm and she took it. We kept walking, silently. Finally, Tanya spoke. "Edward?"

"Yes, Tanya?" I said.

"I… I have something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I know this is probably going to soon strange, since we've known each other for so long, but…. I think I…. I have feelings for… for you."

I was stunned. For a few seconds, I couldn't speak. "So are you trying to say that you… love me?" I finally asked.

"I guess I am. And I know this is probably weird for you, but I just wanted you to know."

"Thank you for telling me, Tanya." We fell silent again and continued walking.

"You don't feel the same way, do you, Edward?" Tanya asked me, ending the awkward silence between us.

"Tanya, please don't misinterpret this. I do care about you and I do have feelings for you, but I don't love you."

"I can settle for that," she said with a small laugh. We kept walking. At one point, a group of drunken men started to approach us. I pulled Tanya closer and shifted the way we touched so it would look like we were together. After they passed, neither of us shifted away from each other.

Tanya and I turned a corner and started walking up a street lined with manors. All of them were dark, but one. A light shone from an upstairs window overlooking the street. The light disappeared partially and I looked up at the window. A girl was silhouetted in the window. Her silhouette seemed familiar, but the light was at her back, so I couldn't see her features. Her head was turned towards Tanya and I. _Is she watching us?_ I wondered.

I looked away from the window. Tanya and I kept walking, stepping into the partially obscured patch of light. The rest of the space flooded with light and I blinked, surprised. I looked up at the window again. A sheet of long, dark hair and the edge of a white nightgown were quickly receding from the window. Seconds later, the light went out.

I was baffled. So many questions ran through my head. Who was that girl? Why did she seem so familiar? Why was she watching Tanya and I? What made her disappear from the window like that?

"Is everything alright, Edward?" Tanya asked me, concerned.

"Everything's fine," I said. We walked a little farther in silence. "It's getting late," I finally said. "We should be getting back to my house."

The walk back home seemed longer than the walk out. When we finally returned, I excused myself to my room, claiming I felt ill. In reality, I needed some time alone to ponder the mystery of the girl I had seen. I paced back and forth, trying to piece together the information into a logical explanation but came up with nothing.

I sat down at my desk and buried m head in my hands. _This is hopeless,_ I told myself. A small piece of paper caught my eye and I pulled it towards me. I read the clumsy writing on it and smiled. It was Bella's address. 1918 Eclipse Way. I started to put the paper down and froze. _Wait a second…_Eclipse Way. That was the street Tanya and I had been walking on, the one where the mystery girl's house had been. She had seemed so familiar… Could the mystery girl be Bella? But that would mean that…_ Oh, no._ That would mean that she saw me. With Tanya. Out for a walk. At night. Holding her like we were a couple. But we weren't. But she wouldn't know that. I started to panic. Bella was everything to me. I couldn't lose her. I just couldn't.

_Calm down, Edward,_ I told myself. _It might not have been her. You could be worrying for nothing._ I took a few deep, steadying breaths. Once I was calm, I decided to go to bed. There was no point in trying to deal with this now. It was better left until tomorrow. Quickly, I changed into my sleep clothes and settled down to sleep.

**Dun-dun-dun. Things aren't looking so good for Edward and Bella..... Can they salvage the situation or is it next stop, heartbreak city for these two? I know the answer (and so do those of you who've read the girls version already), but for the rest of you, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out!**

**Until then!**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	10. Too Little, Too Late

**Hey guys. Just wanted to let ya'll know now, I'm going out of town soon. I don't know if I'll have internet or not, so if I don't, I'm sorry, and if I do, I'll probably update Saturday/Sunday, ok?**

Chapter 10 – Too Little, Too Late (Edward's POV)

The sound of a door opening and footsteps woke me from my fitful sleep. I opened my eyes and sat up. Reuben stood half way between my bed and my door. I quickly glanced at my clock. It was later than I thought. "Yes, Reuben?" I said.

"I apologize for waking you, Mr. Masen. I wanted to drop off this." He held up a letter.

I took the letter from him and placed it on the bed beside me. "Thank you, Reuben," I said. He nodded and left the room. Once the door clicked shut, I picked up the letter. There was no indication of who sent it. I opened it and was greeted with the sight of Bella's handwriting. I smiled and started to read. My smile faded and was replaced by a frown. I reread her letter. The same bitter, ugly words were still there. _Dear Edward,_ she had written, _I regret to inform you that I can no longer remain your acquaintance. I wish you well. Sincerely, Isabella._

I couldn't understand. Why would she send me this? The awful truth dawned on me. She was me. She was me last night. I had to go see her. Maybe the situation could still be salvaged. I hurried to get dressed.

As I hurried down the stairs, my mother stopped me. "Edward, where are you rushing off to? Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie will be here for brunch any minute."

I sighed. "No where, mother." I followed her into the sitting room, where my father sat waiting. Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie arrived shortly after that. For the first half hour, we sat and talked. Then, we moved to the dining room and started to eat.

Brunch seemed to drag on endlessly. Every few minutes I would glance at the clock, hoping I could finally go see Bella. I was contemplating pretending to feel ill, going to my room, and sneaking out when Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie finally said that they had to leave. As soon as they were gone, I told my parents I had an errand to run and left. I hurried to the carriage and told the driver to take me to Bella's house right away.

The minute the carriage came to a stop, I jumped out and ran to the door. I knocked hurriedly. The door opened. "May I help you, sir?" the butler asked.

"Is Isabella home?" I asked.

"Yes, Miss Swan is home."

"I need to speak with her. Tell her Edward Masen is here to see her."

The butler nodded and opened the door wider, inviting me in. I stepped into the entrance hall. He shut the door and hurried up the stairs to get Bella. I waited. One minute passed, then two. I heard frantic footsteps, like someone was running. They stopped abruptly. I heard somebody walking down the staircase behind me and turned. Bella was there, watching me with emotionless eyes. ""Edward," she said as she approached me.

"Isabella," I replied.

"Why are you here, Edward?" she asked.

"I'm here because of this." I pulled her letter out of my pocket. "Why did you send me this?"

"I saw you last night, Edward." My heart sunk. I could see it in her eyes; she was furious at me. "I saw you with… Tanya." She spat out Tanya's name like a curse.

"Bella, I can explain…" I pleaded. _Please let her give me the chance to explain. Please let her give me the chance to explain._

"I thought you loved me, Edward," she accused me.

"I do love you, Bella."

"So that wasn't you I saw with Tanya?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Bella. That was me you saw with Tanya."

"Do you have feelings for her?" I didn't answer her question, afraid to hurt her even more. "Edward, do you have feelings for her?" I knew I had no choice but to answer her. Slowly, I nodded my head. "Edward…." she said, choking on her words.

"Bella, please…" I said, hoping I could get her to listen to me.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she said. "But I meant what I wrote. I can't remain your friend. You betrayed my trust, Edward. I can't forgive you for that. Goodbye, Edward."

"Bella," I pleaded.

"That's Miss Swan to you," she said, her voice like ice. "Good day, Mr. Masen." With that, she turned and walked back up the stairs. I stared after her, listening to her footsteps fading away. I stood there for a few more seconds, unable to think. Finally, I walked across the entrance hall and wrenched open the door. I hurried outside and climbed into my carriage. As the horses whisked me away from Bella, I spared her manor one last look. _I wish I hadn't been so stupid._ Then we turned the corner, and Bella was gone. Possibly forever.

**Ouch. Poor Edward. But don't worry, he'll be okay. He'll have plenty of people to comiserate with soon. You know what they say, misery loves company.**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	11. Will You Be Mine?

**DON'T KILL ME! I'm really really sorry I haven't updated in a while, things have just been crazy busy. I'll make it up to you guys ok? Will another update this weekend be enough?**

Chapter 11 – Will You Be Mine? (Jasper's POV)

I helped Alice from the carriage and, hand-in-hand, we walked into the park. Today was the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Forks and there was a big celebration in the park, including a picnic and a fireworks show. Alice had mentioned to me that she had never seen fireworks before, so I had thought it would be fun for her to see them. I hadn't yet told her why we were here, though. I wanted it to be a surprise.

We walked through the park and found a bench in an open part of the park, right near where the fireworks would be launched from. "Why don't we sit here?" I suggested.

"Okay," Alice said. We sat. "So why are we here, Jasper?"

"It's a surprise, Alice," I said. "You'll find out in…" I pulled out a watch and checked the time. "Five minutes."

The five minutes passed quickly. Suddenly, a loud **Boom** resonated through the air. Alice jumped, frightened. "Wh-what was that?" she asked.

"Look up," I told her. She tilted her head back. The colors from the firework were slowly faded from the sky. She stared at it in wonder.

"What is that?" she wondered.

"That's a firework, Alice."

"It's so pretty." Another **Boom** sounded and the sky flooded with color once more. "Wow."

"I know." I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned my head to the sky to watch the show. Every time a firework exploded, Alice would gasp and sigh, marveling over the beautiful colors and exotic designs the explosions would cause. I watched her out of the corner of my eye. She was so gorgeous and her enthusiasm reminded me of that of a young child. It was so fitting for her. _God, I love this woman,_ I thought. _Why have I never told her this? I should. I'll tell her now._ Alice looked over at me and I quickly looked back at the sky so she wouldn't catch me staring at her.

When the show ended, she turned to me, her eyes alight with excitement. "That was amazing. Thank you so much, Jasper."

"You're very welcome Alice. I thought you would enjoy that." We started talking about other topics. I could sense her obvious comfort at being around me, plus her happiness, and decided that now was the time. I turned to her.

"Alice?" I said.

"Yes, Jasper?" she answered.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"You don't need to tell me that, Jasper. I already know." I smiled at her response, but I wanted to say the words anyway.

"I love you, Alice." I reveled in the feeling of saying those words aloud.

"I love you too, Jasper. I can't imagine a world without you. I would do anything to be able to spend the rest of my life with you."

I had to ask the question. "Even marry me?"

"There is nothing I want more than to be your wife, Jasper."

"Good." I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. We stayed there for another half hour before I had to take her home. I dropped her off at her house and headed home, her words echoing in my mind. _"I love you too Jasper I can't imagine a world without you. I would do anything to be able to spend the rest of my life with you." "There is nothing I want more than to be your wife, Jasper." "I love you too Jasper I can't imagine a world without you. I would do anything to be able to spend the rest of my life with you." "There is nothing I want more than to be your wife, Jasper." _

_I'm going to make this girl my wife no matter what,_ I decided right there. When I got home, I hurried to find my parents. "Mother, father, I have to ask you something," I said as soon as I found them.

"Yes, Jasper?" my mother asked.

"I want your permission to ask Alice Brandon for her hand in marriage."

"I'm fine with that, sweetheart," my mother said. What about you, dear?" She looked at my father.

"I'm fine with it as well. Alice is a lovely girl and she will make a lovely bride."

I smiled broadly. "Thank you, mother, father."

"You're welcome, son," my father said. "We should all go to sleep. It's getting late. We'll talk more in the morning."

_**Several days later….**_

A flutter of nerves danced through my stomach as our carriage pulled up outside the Brandon's house. Today was the day. Today I was going to ask Alice to marry me. The carriage stopped and my parents and I climbed out. We walked up to the door and I knocked on it. It opened, revealing the butler. "Are Mr. and Mrs. Brandon home?" I asked.

"Yes, sir, they are," the butler answered.

"We would like to speak with them, please. Tell them that the Whitlocks are here to see them."

"Of course, sir." The butler invited us in and showed us to the sitting room. He made sure we were comfortable before disappearing to go find Mr. and Mrs. Brandon. We waited in silence.

"Hello, Jasper, Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock," Mrs. Brandon said as she and her husband walked into the room. "What a pleasant surprise. Does Alice know you are here, Jasper?"

"Not unless you've told her," I replied. "But I actually came to speak to the two of you."

"How can we be of service, Jasper?" Mr. Brandon asked.

"Well," I began. "I'm sure it comes as no surprise to either of you that I am very much in love with your daughter. Alice means everything to me. I love her and want the chance to act on that love. My parents have already given their approval, so all I need is yours. Do I have your permission to ask Alice for her hand in marriage?"

"Of course you do, Jasper," Mr. Brandon said.

"Thank you, sir," I said.

"No, Jasper, thank you," Mrs. Brandon said. "For giving us our Alice back. She suffered through a terrible tragedy two years ago and never was the same." _Tragedy? What kind of tragedy? Who would ever hurt someone like Alice?_ "Ever since she met you, she seems lighter, happier. We only have you to thank."

I smiled. "Why don't we have Alice join us, so we can tell her the good news?" I asked.

"Of course," Mr. Brandon said. "Augustus!" The butler appeared. "Go find Alice and tell her that Mrs. Brandon and I need to talk to her and to come to the sitting room, please."

"Yes, Mr. Brandon." The butler hurried away. Minutes later, Alice appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened in shock and she looked from face to face, confused.

"Alice, dear," Mrs. Brandon said. "Come sit." She crossed the room gracefully and sat down next to me. Her mother smiled. "Now then, Alice, you're probably wondering why we called you." She nodded. "Well, sweetheart, we've been talking to the Whitlocks, who mentioned that Jasper…"

_Wait a second. This is my news. I should tell Alice, not her mother._ "Do you mind if I tell her, Mrs. Brandon?" I asked.

"Of course not, Jasper," she said. "It's really your news, after all."

I smiled and turned to Alice. "Alice," I said, taking her hands in mine. "Do you remember what we talked about the night we went to the park?"

"I remember," she said.

"Do you remember the very last thing we talked about?" She nodded. "Well, that's why I'm here." She stared at me, her eyes blank, puzzled. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and she gasped.

"We're getting married?!" she asked, her voice full of shock and surprise.

"Only if you want to, Alice, dear," Mr. Brandon said. "Your mother and I are fine with you marrying Jasper, as are the Whitlocks, but it is ultimately your decision.

Alice looked back at me. "I meant my words from that night. I really can't think of anything I want more than being your wife, Jasper. Of course I'll marry you."

I smiled. "Then it's settled. As of right now, you and I are engaged." All of our parents smiled proudly. Alice smiled too, but something about it seemed off, as if she was trying to hide something. I looked at her, a silent question in my eyes, and she looked away.

My parents and I stayed another hour or so before excusing ourselves. We got home and I started upstairs to my room. "Jasper, you aren't going to go see Edward and Emmett and tell them the good news?" my mother asked.

"I'll go tomorrow, mother," I said. "I'm tired."

"Ok. Good night, Jasper."

"Good night, mother, father."

**Awwww. So cute. Of course, life can't always be perfect....**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	12. Happily Never After

**I know, I know... I promised an update on Sunday. I'm sorry I didn't, but things just got really busy, and... yeah.**

Chapter 12 – Happily Never After (Jasper's POV)

_**The next day…**_

I sat in my room, scanning the newspaper for news on the Civil War, when somebody knocked on my door. "Come in," I called, folding up the paper and setting it down beside me.

My mother's head peered around the door. "Jasper, honey, the Brandons are here. They said they need to talk to us about something."

I jumped to my feet. "Let's go," I said. "We shouldn't keep them waiting." The three of us walked downstairs and into the sitting room. I saw Alice sitting across the room and I felt a surge of happiness. I started towards her, planning to kiss her cheek, but stopped at the dead look in her eyes, rethinking my plan. Instead, I sat down with my parents on the other side of the room.

"Whatever did you want to talk to us about?" my father asked once everyone was sitting down.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," Mr. Brandon said. My heart sank. "We're going to have to end Jasper and Alice's engagement."

"What?!" The shocked outburst fell from my lips before I could stop it. I couldn't understand. How could this happen? I looked at Alice, trying to read her face, her eyes, to understand. She turned away from my prying gaze, tears barely visible in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm afraid we don't understand," my mother said. "Why must the engagement end?"

"Alice, would you like to explain?" Mrs. Brandon asked. Alice shook her head no. "Very well. Dear?"

"Mr. Brandon cleared his throat. "Many years ago, while we were still living in Mississippi, my wife and I had a close friend by the name of Billy Black," he began. "Billy has a son about three years older than Alice. His name is Jacob. In their early days, Alice and Jacob were very close. My wife and I thought – and Billy agreed – that it would only be proper for them to be married. So we arranged the marriage. By her third birthday, Alice was betrothed. Half a year later, we moved out here, to Forks. We maintained a steady correspondence with the Blacks, knowing that Alice would be sent back to Mississippi to marry Jacob when the time was right. We informed both children when Alice was twelve and Jacob was fifteen. Both took the news incredibly well. Their relationship intensified over the next four years and all of the parents were confident that nothing could go wrong." Mr. Brandon paused and let out a sigh. "How wrong we were. Shortly before Alice's sixteenth birthday, she received a letter from Jacob telling her that he had been drafted into the Confederate Army. For many months he remained in training. All throughout his training, he maintained a steady correspondence with Alice. Then, about a year and a half ago, Alice received a letter saying that Jacob was dead. A divorce court ruled that Alice could remarry so long as Jacob was dead." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, everything became clear.

"So what you are trying to tell us is that Alice and Jasper can't get married because Alice's intended is alive and she has to marry him?" my father said.

"We're afraid that's the case," Mrs. Brandon said. "We're very sorry."

"I guess we should work out how best to annul the marriage," my father suggested.

"Very well," Mr. Brandon agreed.

"Do you need me and Alice for this, father?" I asked.

"No," my father said.

"Good. Alice, can I talk to you?" She nodded stiffly. I stood up and walked out of the room, Alice following me. I kept walking until I was sure we were far enough away from the sitting room that no one could hear us. Then I turned and stared at her, letting all the anger I felt seep out. She looked away from me.

"Jasper, I know that you're mad at me, but…"

"Mad is only part of what I'm feeling right now," I said, my voice flat. She flinched.

"Listen Jasper, I can explain, really…"

"What if I don't want your explanation?" I asked her. "Alice, you betrayed me. If this was the first time, maybe I'd understand. This isn't the first time though. You've betrayed me before. And now you've done it again."

"I didn't mean to! I didn't want to betray you, Jasper!"

"You decide to marry another man, yet you didn't want or mean to betray me." The skepticism was heavy in my voice.

"This wasn't my choice," she screamed at me through the tears that flowed relentlessly down her cheeks. For the briefest flash of a second, I felt sorry. I didn't want to hurt her. But it passed just as quickly as it came. "Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I wanted to have to give you up? I love you, Jasper. Not Jacob. You."

"Then why are you marrying him?" At this point, it wasn't the want of understanding driving me to ask these questions. It was pure anger.

"Didn't you hear me? This wasn't my choice. My parents made the decision for me. I was trying to fight it every step of the way. I don't want to marry him. I want to marry you."

There was so much conviction in her words that I almost believed her. But I knew it couldn't be true. If it was true, we wouldn't be standing here, having this fight. If it was true, she would still be marrying me. "I wish I could believe you when you say that." I turned my back to her, silently indicating that the conversation was over. I wanted to hear no more of her lies.

"Jasper, please…" she begged futilely. I half turned my head to look at her and her head dropped. I turned my gaze away and walked away from her, silently. I stole into the kitchen and snuck up the servant's stairwell. As I emerged, I heard the faint sounds of carriage wheels on a paved driveway. _They left,_ I thought bitterly. _Good. _Suddenly, voices floated up towards me, from the sitting room. I heard my parents' voice, mixed with the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Brandon. _But I though the just left…_ I mused to myself. Then I realized it was Alice that had left. _Good riddance,_ I said to myself. I continued walking to my room.

I shut my door and sat on my bed. My rage continued to pulse through me. After a while, it faded and a new emotion filled me: jealousy. Even though I didn't know him, I was jealous of Jacob Black. He would get to marry Alice, to love her and be loved by her. Not me. Never me.

A strangled sob broke from my lips. I couldn't go on without Alice. She was everything to me. If I couldn't have her, I'd die. If I could never see her again, I would take my life, just to never feel this pain again. To never have to cope with the reckless anger pulsing through my veins. Involuntarily, my hands clenched into fists.

Someone knocked on my door, saving whatever luckless piece of furniture would have been the target of my anger and jealousy. "Come in," I called. The door opened and our butler appeared, bearing a letter for me.

"Mr. Whitlock, this just arrived for you." He handed me the letter.

"Thank you," I said. He left, and I quickly opened the letter. _Dear Mr. Whitlock,_ I read._ As a born citizen of the state of Texas, it is your duty to serve our state in a time of conflict. As you know, a civil war is raging in our country. We, as a state, must stand together and defend our ideals. Therefore, you have been drafted into the army of the Confederate States of America. Your tour of service begins in six weeks. If you are unable to serve, please inform us as soon as possible. Regards, the Confederate Army._

I stared at the paper in my hand in shock. I reread it, hoping my eyes were playing a cruel trick on me, but the same words were there. I had been drafted. My parents' worse nightmare was going to come true. There was the part about being unable to serve, but I knew that wouldn't help me. The only ways out were if you had some sort of illness that disabled you or if you were getting married or having a child within three months of the start of your tour of service. And I had none of those excuses. _**Actually, this might not be so bad,**_ a voice inside my head told me. _**Think about it. If you serve in the army, there's a very good chance you might get killed. You said you didn't want to live if you couldn't have Alice. You'll never have to see her again if you aren't alive.**_

I stared at the paper again. Did I really want to do this? Did I really want to essentially commit suicide, simply because the girl I love would never be mine? _I don't want to live without her. _My decision was made. I was going to serve in the Confederate Army and hopefully give my life for their cause.

**Gasp! Who would've thought that Jasper would be suicidal without Alice? I guess when you're all in touch with your emotions like he is, this kinda stuff hurts bad.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	13. Roses and Thorns

**Who's ready for more trouble? I AM!!!! So let the trouble begin!**

Chapter 13 – Roses and Thorns (Emmett's POV)

I hurried up the street, dodging the packs of mid-afternoon shoppers until I reached my destination: the jewelry shop. I had decided that I wanted to get Rosalie something, a necklace, perhaps, or maybe a bracelet, to show her how much I care for her. I knew this could backfire and was certainly against every rule in the etiquette book, but I didn't care. My Rose deserved to be treated to the finer things in life and I was going to treat her like the queen she was.

The bell over the door chimed as I walked in. Alistair, the jeweler, smiled in greeting at me. "Hello, Emmett," he said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Alistair," I said.

"Are you picking something up for your mother?"

"Actually, no. I have something I want to get for someone."

"What are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure yet. But if I see something I like, I'll tell you." I started walking around the store, eyeing different pieces and trying to imagine them on Rosalie. I was passing by a case of simple glass-spun necklaces when something caught my eye. I looked closer and saw that it was a simple glass-spun rose on a fine gold chain. "That," I said, pointing. "That's what I want to get."

Alistair walked over and looked at my selection. "Very nice," he said. "I'm afraid we're out of stock, though, so I can't give you one right away. But I can make you one. It should be ready in a few days."

"That's fine," I said. "If you don't mind, though, I'd like to pay for it now. How much will it be?" Alistair told me the price and I quickly handed him the money.

"I'll have one of my assistants send you a letter when it's ready," he promised me.

"Wonderful," I said. "Thank you, Alistair, I'll see you soon."

_**Several days later…**_

_Knock, knock._ "Come in," I called. The door to my bedroom opened and my butler came in.

"Mr. McCarty, a letter just arrived from the jewelry shop concerning your order," he said. He handed me the letter.

"Thank you," I said. I placed the letter down on the bed next to me and walked over to my desk. I picked up a letter sitting on it and handed it to him. Rosalie's name and address were written on the front. It was an invitation for her to spend a day in the near future with me. I had also told her that I had a surprise for her. "Can you please have one of the messengers deliver this to Miss Rosalie Hale, please?"

"Yes, sir." He took the letter and left. Sooner than I would have thought, I had Rosalie's answer. I opened it eagerly, only to be greeted with the news that she was unable to see me until next week. Reluctantly, I wrote back that next week would be fine.

_**One week later….**_

"Emmett, will you please tell me where we're going?" Rosalie asked.

"Not yet, Rosalie," I replied. She sighed and I fought the urge to smile. I had picked Rosalie up from her house fifteen minutes ago and she had immediately begun asking me questions about my surprise. All I had told her was that it was somewhere in town.

"Why won't you tell me, Emmett?" she said.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise, Rosalie," I answered her. "I promise you it will be worth it." She sighed again.

When we reached the edge of town, I told the carriage driver to stop. Rosalie's face lit up with excitement. I suppressed another smile and pulled the blindfold out of my pocket, tying over Rosalie's eyes.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" she demanded.

"It's all part of the surprise, Rose," I told her. "I don't want you to be able to see where we're going. It might ruin the surprise." I watched her settle back into her seat and cross her arms over her chest, disgruntled. This time, I allowed myself to smile. I knew she wasn't really mad at me, and if she was, all would be forgiven soon. I bade the driver to keep going.

Five minutes later, we came to a stop outside of Alistair's jewelry shop. "Are we there, Emmett?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes, we're here."

"Good." Her hands reached up towards the blindfold. Instantaneously, I reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Not yet, Rose," I said. "Don't worry; I'll make sure you don't get hurt." I climbed out of the carriage quickly and turned to help Rosalie out. Gently, I helped her down the small flight of stairs and into the shop. The bell chimed as we walked in the door and Alistair looked up, surprised.

"Good day, Mr. McCarty," he said. "Have you come to pick up your order?"

"Yes, actually, I have," I replied.

"That's good," he said. "And here I thought you'd forgotten about it. I'll be right back with your order." He hurried into the back room. Minutes later, he reappeared with a medium sized velvet necklace box in his hands. He set it down on the counter between us. "Here you are," Alistair said.

I opened the case and looked at it. A glass spun rose was nestled into the velvet, attached to a long, fine gold chain. It would look so beautiful on Rosalie. "Excellent," I said. "Okay, Rosalie, you can take the blindfold off." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, her hands were at the knot at the back of her head, untying the blindfold and pulling it away from her eyes. Immediately, her gaze fell to the necklace in front of us. I smiled. "Do you like it?" I gestured towards her necklace.

Her breath caught. "This is…. for me?" she asked, astonishment in her voice.

"This is my surprise," I said, my smile fading. "What's wrong; you don't like it?" I panicked. _I knew I should have gone with something more noticeable, like the diamond necklace or the amethyst bracelet. It's more her taste. Noticeable, not subtle._

"No," she said. "I love it. It's… it's beautiful. Thank you, Emmett." I smiled again. Gently, I lifted the necklace and fastened it around Rosalie's neck. Gently, Rosalie lifted the rose pendant and slid it underneath the bodice of her dress. I remembered how many rules of etiquette this was violating and nodded in understanding.

Still smiling, I led Rosalie back outside and helped her into the carriage, climbing in after her. Once I was seated, she turned to me. "Thank you again for the necklace, Emmett," she said.

"You're welcome, Rose," I replied. "So what would you like to do now?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "What would you like to do?"

"There's a horse race going on in an hour. Why don't we go?"

"I don't know…. I was never a big fan of horse racing."

"Please?" I whined. I pouted my lips and clasped my hand together, trying to pull off a childish enough begging face that Rosalie would agree.

"Oh, alright," she said. _Yes! It worked!_

"Yay!" I cheered. I started bouncing up and down like a little boy, shaking the carriage.

"Emmett, stop that!" Rosalie exclaimed, laughter in her eyes. "You're shaking the carriage."

"Sorry," I said as we pulled up by the race track. The door opened and I sprung from the carriage excitedly. "Come on, Rosalie," I said, helping her out. "Let's go have some fun!" My hand closed securely around her wrist and I pulled off towards the race track and the spectators' section, barely containing my joy.

_**After the race….**_

"I have to admit, that was fun, Emmett," Rosalie told me as I took her home.

"See? I told you you'd enjoy it," I answered her.

"I guess I should have believed you, correct?"

"Yes, you should have." It was hard to keep the gloating from my voice.

"Well, now I do," she said as we pulled up in front of her house. "Thank you for a lovely day, Emmett. I'll see you soon." She climbed out of the carriage and I was sad to see her go. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her, even if it was only for the night. I climbed out of my carriage and walked after her. She turned to look at me. "Yes, Emmett?"

I gave the first excuse I could think of. "Your parents won't mind if I come in briefly to say hello, will they?"

"Of course not. My parents love you; they'd be thrilled to see you."

"Wonderful." I hurried to her side and together we walked into her house. I hadn't even closed the door when the butler rushed in.

"Oh, Miss Hale, you're home," he said. "Excellent. Your parents need you in the sitting room at once." Silently, Rosalie walked to the sitting room and I followed. When we walked in, we were greeted by Rosalie's parents, another married couple, and a young man, not much older than Rosalie or I. The young man was familiar to me, but I couldn't place the blond hair and handsome figure. Suddenly, he looked up at me. Our eyes met and I recognized him as Royce King the Second, my childhood rival, back to torment me again, no doubt.

Royce and I glared at each other, years of hatred pouring out of both of us. I was vaguely aware of Rosalie conversing with her mother. Suddenly, Royce spoke. "May I make the introductions, Mrs. Hale?" he asked, breaking our connection.

"You may."

"Rosalie, I would like to introduce to you my father, Royce King, and his wife, my mother, Mrs. King," Royce said to her.

"And you are?" she asked.

"Royce King the Second," he answered. "Your fiancé." As he spoke, he looked directly at me with his famous trump face. I glared right back at him.

"My…. fiancé?" Rosalie asked.

"That is correct," Royce said. "We are engaged." He continued to talk, but I could take no more. Unnoticed, I turned and walked away, disappearing outside and into my carriage. I took deep breaths and tried to subdue the urge to turn around and punch Royce in the face. Repeatedly. Of course he would find a way to take away the one thing that mattered most to me: Rosalie.

_She hasn't accepted yet,_ I reminded myself. _There's a chance she might still say no. And besides, why would she want him? She doesn't care at all for him. She cares for you. Stop worrying. Everything will be fine._

**Ah, Emmett. Gotta love the teddy bear. Speaking of the teddy bear, he wants you to review. SO REVIEW. Make Emmett happy, okay?**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	14. Are You Happy Now?

**I don't really have anything to say so.... yeah.**

Chapter 14 – Are You Happy Now? (Emmett's POV)

_**The next day…**_

_Hm… maybe that one… no that one. _Several swaths of fabric lay in front of me as I debated over which color to use for Rosalie's next present. My aunt was a prominent dressmaker and she had agreed to make a custom design just for Rosalie. Once again, I knew I was breaking society rules, but I didn't care. Rosalie was more important than a few stupid rules.

_Knock, knock._ "Yes?" I called out.

The door opened. "Mr. McCarty, a Miss Rosalie Hale is here to see you," our butler said.

Rosalie! I jumped to my feet and raced to the entrance hall. I stopped short at the top of the stairs and she turned to look up at me. "Rosalie!" I called to her. I raced down the stairs and walked towards her, opening my arms to hug her. A strange look passed over her face and she took a step back, away from me. I dropped my arms, confusion coloring my face. "Rose, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"First of all, Emmett, it is highly inappropriate to give a hug to an engaged woman," she said. "And it is even more inappropriate to hug an engaged woman who is not a friend of yours or even an acquaintance." Her stern expression made me feel guilty and I immediately started making amends.

"I'm sorry, Rosalie, it won't happen a…" I paused as all of her words sunk in. "What was the last thing you said?" I could have sworn she said that it wasn't right to hug an engaged woman who wasn't my friend. But Rosalie is my friend. And did she say engaged…?

"I said that it is even more inappropriate to hug an engaged woman who is not your friend or acquaintance." I frowned slightly, her words still not making sense.

"I don't understand. Are you trying to say we're not…?" My voice trailed off at the realization that, yes, she was trying to say what I thought she was.

"Am I trying to say we're not friends?" She asked me, affirming my suspicions. "Yes, Emmett, that is exactly what I am trying to say." I started to laugh. _What a funny joke,_ I thought.

"You are not serious, are you?" I said through laughter. I looked at Rosalie's serious expression. _Oh, my god. She is serious._ My laughter stopped. "You're serious. You seriously are telling me we can't be friends."

"Yes, Emmett. That is exactly what I am trying to tell you."

"This isn't funny, Rosalie." I still thought she was joking.

"You think this is a joke?" she asked, figuring out my thoughts. "Well, it isn't. I'm being serious. Royce…"

As soon as she said his name, a rush of pure rage flowed through me. So that was what this was about. Royce wouldn't be satisfied with just taking her away from me. No, he had to make sure I never saw her again. "Of course," I said, interrupting whatever she was about to say. "I should have known Royce was involved."

"Don't you dare blame Royce," she snapped at me. I recoiled. So now she was defending the devil's spawn? "He simply asked me to end our friendship. I'm the one who agreed."

Now I was truly shocked. She had agreed. Why? "You agreed to this?" I asked her, voicing my thoughts. "You agreed to stop being friends with me? Why?"

"It's for the better, Emmett. I can't have you getting too close to me and ruining my marriage."

"I would never do that, Rosalie. All I want is for you to be happy." _Just not with him._

"How do I know you really mean that? How do I know you aren't jealous of Royce and wouldn't try to ruin things for me and him out of jealousy?" _Jealousy? She thinks I might be jealous of Royce King the Second? The only reason I'd be jealous of him is because he's marrying Rosalie. And I am. So of course I'd try to ruin things._

"Rosalie, you have my word that I would never, ever do that to you," I lied.

"Emmett, I can't believe that. I'm not blind, Emmett; I've seen the way you look at me, seen the things you do for me. You have feelings for me, Emmett. You've been courting me."

"Rosalie, I'm not going to deny either of those statements. Yes, I have feelings for you. Yes, I've been courting you."

"You see, Emmett? It's too dangerous. What if you let your feelings get the better of you? What if you try to ruin things for me and Royce?"

"Rosalie, why won't you believe me when I tell you that I would never try to ruin things for you and Royce?" _Even though I would in a heartbeat._

"I don't want to take the risk! What Royce and I have is special and neither of us wants something to happen that could ruin our engagement." I scoffed quietly, so Rosalie couldn't hear. Royce didn't care about her. He wanted her for her beauty, because she would look pretty on his arm. Because it would hurt me.

"Did Royce tell you to say this? Is this how you feel or how Royce feels?"

"Leave Royce out of this. This is between you and me. Royce isn't involved." I scoffed again. Of course Royce was involved. He was the one making her do this!

"Is Royce ending his friendship with all his female friends? Or is it only you who has to cease being friends with anyone of the opposite gender?" It was a rhetorical question; I knew Royce would be keeping all his lady friends. What reason did he have to let go of his play toys?

"I thought I asked you to leave Royce out of this," Rosalie said through gritted teeth. "What is going on here is only between you and me, not you, me, and Royce."

My temper snapped. "Don't you see what he's doing, Rosalie?" I cried. "He's controlling you. He's telling you what to do and you're as good as letting him by not fighting back."

"Enough, Emmett," she said flatly. "I'm sorry, but our friendship is over." That's what she thought. But I wasn't letting go of her without a fight.

I changed my approach. "What's so great about him, anyway?" I asked her softly. "Why are you so adamant about marrying him?"

"He's a King," she said. "He's rich. I'll be rich. I'll have everything I could want."

As soon as her words settled in me, I lost any will to fight. So that was why she wanted to marry him? Because he was rich? In that one instant, she wasn't worth fighting for anymore. "That's it? Not because you love him and he loves you? Just because he's rich?" I scoffed. "I knew it. I knew it all along."

"You knew what?" she answered.

"I knew that you were nothing but a vain, spoiled, pompous, arrogant brat." She gasped. I knew I had hurt her, but I didn't care. I didn't want her if she thought she was entitled to the world on a silver platter. I couldn't give her that. I only had my love. If she wanted the world, she was better of with Royce. "I didn't want to believe it, but now I know it's true. Enjoy Royce. You two deserve each other." With that, I turned on my heel and left her standing there in the entrance hall. As I walked back to my room, I silently cursed Royce. _I hate you, Royce King,_ I said in my head. _You are evil and deserve to die. You don't deserve Rosalie. You never have and you never will. I hate you for ruining my life and taking away the one thing I care about more than my own life. I can only hope that someday you'll feel the same pain you've caused me._

**Expect a unexpected twist next chapter. Trust me when I say this, you will not see this one coming.**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	15. What Goes Around Comes Around

**Remember how there was that totally random chapter in the beginning of this story that I said would become important later? Well, it's later.**

**Disclaimer (cuz I haven't put one in a while): Not mine.**

Chapter 15 – What Goes Around Comes Around (Emmett's POV)

_I'll kill him. I swear I will,_ I thought for the millionth time this afternoon. Hours had passed since Rosalie had come and told me that that obnoxious idiot, Royce King the Second, my sworn enemy and her fiancé, had forbid her from ever seeing me again. I didn't know who to hate more: Royce, for taking Rosalie away from me and forbidding her from seeing me again, or Rosalie herself, for agreeing to marry him and to stay away from him. _**Royce,**_ a voice in my head told me._** You hate Royce more. He took Rosalie from you. Besides, you love Rosalie too much to hate her. You can't stay mad at her.**_

I sighed. It was true. I was so hopelessly besotted with Rosalie that I couldn't think of hating, or even disliking, her. I just wish I could make her feel the pain I felt. But how? Maybe I could pretend to be courting somebody else. That would make certainly make her jealous. But who would I pretend to court? The only women who would willing pretend to be attracted to a man were prostitutes, and Rosalie would never be jealous of them. _**Well, maybe you should find a woman who actually does like you, like Heidi Volterra.**_ I paused to consider the idea. It certainly had potential. Heidi liked me, which means she was more easily swayed to help me, and there was no doubt that she was beautiful. Her long mahogany hair, violet eyes, and statuesque body could easily rival Rosalie's long blond hair, violet eyes, and statuesque body. Honestly, if Heidi had been a blond, like Jane, she and Rosalie could have been twins. Except that no one could ever be remotely like Rosalie. She was unique, one of a kind. And Royce didn't give a damn about her, just her looks. That little….

_Focus,_ I told myself._ Heidi Volterra. If anyone can make Rosalie jealous, she can. But how to convince her? _I thought about it for a few minutes. The only logical conclusion I could come to was lying to Heidi and telling her that I had realized my true feelings for her and giving her some small thing as a show of affection. The idea repulsed me, but I had no choice. I sighed.

Two and a half hours and one trip to the jewelry store later, I stood in the Volterra's entrance hall, waiting for Heidi. In my pocket was a basic silver bracelet which I would give to Heidi, assuming all went well. I sighed. _This has got to be one of my more stupid ideas,_ I told myself. _Hopefully it works._

Heidi appeared at the top of the stairs, a look of shock comingled with pleasure on her face. She saw me looking at her and immediately tried to correct her facial expression with no noticeable success. She walked down the stairs and came to stand a few feet away from me. "Hello, Emmett," she said.

"Hello, Heidi," I answered.

"I was told you had something very important to talk to me about," she said.

"Yes," I said. "Heidi, I know this may sound strange, but recently I realized that, contrary to my earlier attitude, I do care about you."

"Wh-what?" Heidi said, shocked.

"I have feelings for you, Heidi," I lied. "And I know I didn't act that way before, but they grew slowly and I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner. You are a truly amazing woman."

"Emmett, I… I don't know what to say."

"All you need to say is that you're willing to go through a formal courtship with me. I want you to be mine, Heidi."

"I…. Of course," she stammered, clearly flustered.

I smiled and pulled the bracelet from my pocket. "Here, Heidi, I want you to have this." I showed it to her.

She stared at it, silent, for a few seconds. "Oh…. Emmett, that's so thoughtful of you." She held out her wrist and I fastened the bracelet on it.

"It looks beautiful on you," I told her truthfully. It was probably the only non-lie I had said since I got here.

"Thank you, Emmett," she said. Her voice sounded distant and her eyes were unfocused, as if she was thinking hard. Suddenly, she looked up at me and I was hit by the force of her violet eyes. Violet eyes… just like Rosalie's…. Rosalie…. _Focus!_ I mentally yelled at myself.

"Emmett," Heidi said sweetly. Too sweetly.

"Yes, Heidi?"

"This is going to sound rather odd, but I thought you were courting Rosalie Hale."

"Wherever did you get that idea from?" A light sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead. _Please don't let her know the truth,_ I prayed.

"Jane," Heidi said simply.

"Well, Jane must be mistaken. I was never courting Miss Hale."

"Oh?" Heidi questioned. "So that wasn't you and Rosalie that Jane saw at Alistair's jewelry shop yesterday?" She looked up at my flat expression. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. "Why don't you tell me what this is really about, Emmett?" she said finally.

I sighed. "Alright. First things first, I was lying before. I don't have feelings for you, Heidi."

"That was obvious," she said. "I'm more curious as to why you felt the need to come here and tell me this story."

"Let me answer your earlier questions first, and hopefully it will make sense. Yes, I was courting Rosalie Hale. When Jane saw us yesterday, I was giving her a small present, to show her how much I care about her."

"Kind of like this, you mean?" She shook the bracelet on her wrist.

"Yeah," I said sheepishly.

"I don't understand then. If you were courting her and she seemed receptive to your gifts, why are you here?"

"I was about to explain. Yesterday, Rosalie had some visitors: the Kings." Heidi gasped. "Their son, Royce, and I have been rivals for as long as I can remember. He was at Rosalie's house to ask her to marry him. I believe it was more to spite me than anything else."

"And she accepted." There was no question in Heidi's voice; she was finally starting to understand why I was here.

"Not only that. She also agreed to never see me again. Naturally, I'm furious. I wanted to make Rosalie feel as horrible as I do."

"And you thought if you courted me, she would get jealous." I nodded. Heidi was quiet for a long time, presumably contemplating all that I had told her. "Why me?" she asked finally.

"What?"

"Why me? Why did you choose me, of all the women out there, to use to make Rosalie jealous?"

"It's because you're beautiful. I'm sure there are plenty of women out there who would help me in a heartbeat, but Rosalie wouldn't be jealous of just anyone. It would have to be someone every bit as beautiful, witty, and wealthy as her for her to even bat an eye. You fit the description exactly, Heidi. Truthfully, if you had gotten Jane's hair color, you and Rosalie could have been twins," I joked.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment, Emmett?" she asked me.

"I guess so."

"Well, thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So that's the whole story?"

"Yeah. Oh, and I'm sorry for deceiving you."

"Apology accepted."

"Good." An awkward silence fell around us. "Um, Heidi, I was wondering… would you still be willing to help me?"

Heidi stopped to consider what I was asking of her. "I still have a few things I need to understand. Do you love her, Emmett?"

"Yes," I answered without thinking.

"And you want her to be happy, right?"

"Of course."

"And being with Royce seems to be what makes her happy, correct?"

"Unfortunately."

"So why can't you just accept it, and let her go? You love her and want her to be happy. Marrying Royce seems to be what makes her happy. So why make things difficult?"

"She won't be happy," I told Heidi. "Maybe she's happy now, but she won't be in the future. You don't know what kind of man Royce is. He wants Rosalie solely for her looks, because she's beautiful and will look pretty on his arm. If he saw you, I bet he'd take you too, just because you're beautiful like her. He doesn't care about her as a person. She's just an accessory. But," I added. "At least that's better than the alternative."

"What's the alternative?" she asked.

"Play toy," I answered.

"So you're trying to save her from making a mistake, is that it?"

"Yes. She's not going to be happy with him. He'll just get what he wants from her and leave her. She doesn't mean a thing to him. She never has and she never will."

Heidi paused again to consider. "Emmett, I'm going to help you," she said finally. "You may be acting foolish, but your heart's in the right place."

"Thank you, Heidi," I said, gratefully. I turned to leave.

"Emmett," Heidi called to me. I stopped. "Is she really worth it?"

I thought about this for a brief second. Last night, I had given up when I realized what she really wanted: his money. I had said she wasn't worth fighting for. But was that really the truth? Was Rosalie really not worth fighting for? No. I had to fight for her. She would always be worth it, no matter what. "Yes," I said. "She really is worth it."

Heidi gave me a skeptical look. For a few seconds, we simply stared at each other. Finally, Heidi sighed. "Alright," she relented. "I can see that you're serious about this, Emmett. I can tell that she means everything to you and that you would do anything for her." Heidi smiled wistfully. "Rosalie is a lucky girl. She has you to fight for her."

I opened my mouth to respond, but was cut off by a high reedy voice calling, "Heidi!" Footsteps sounded from above us.

Heidi looked over her shoulder nervously and leaned closer to me. "You should go," she whispered. "Come back tomorrow. We'll go for a walk around the pond in the park. It's a very couple-like thing to do." More footsteps. "Go!"

Quickly, I grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Until tomorrow, Heidi," I whispered.

**Betcha didn't see that one coming. Stay tuned; there's more unexpected twists ahead.**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	16. Denial

**There's a lot of drama and plot twists in this one.... Enjoy!**

Chapter 16 –Denial (Emmett's POV)

_**One week later…**_

I was growing frustrated. Heidi and I had been playing the couple for a week now and had accomplished nothing. We hadn't seen Royce and Rosalie once. Why weren't they out, acting like every other new couple since the break of dawn? Was Royce so worried about keeping Rosalie interested in only him that he kept her locked away in her mansion, unable to go outside or see her friends? _I bet he is,_ I thought bitterly. _That would be so like Royce to lock her away in a tower like she's a fairy tale princess and he's a mean, nasty dragon._ I sighed. I figured I should go over to Heidi's house and ask her to go somewhere with me, but I just didn't have the heart to play this game today. But what else was there to do? I hadn't seen Edward and Jasper in a long time…. I know! I'll go see them. We needed a boys' day anyway. I raced off to go pick up Jasper.

_Jasper's POV_

It was done. In a little under a month and a half I would be a Confederate soldier. My parents were not thrilled, to say the least, but in the end, they had acknowledged that I was old enough to make my own decisions. They now thought that I was enlisting in the army because I had realized that, even though we no longer lived in Texas, it was my duty to protect my state and my family's lifestyle. Truthfully, I had been drafted and would have faked my way out if it weren't for the fact that I wanted to fight. Wanted to die. I didn't want to live without her. Alice Brandon. And since I couldn't live with her, I wouldn't keep living. _Besides,_ I reasoned, _she won't care._ She had left me. We had been engaged for all of twenty four hours before she broke it, claiming her dead betrothed was alive once more. As if a thing like that was even possible. People who died don't come back to life. I bet she'd found someone she wanted more than me and, with her parents' help, crafted this story to get out of marrying me. I couldn't believe how foolish I had been, pouring my heart out to this… this witch. No, Alice wasn't a witch. Alice wouldn't do this to me. She loved me. And I loved her. But if she wouldn't create a fake story like this to get out of marrying me, then that must mean that… she was telling the truth. She still loves me and was forced by her parents back into this loveless marriage. For a fleeting second, my heart soared. _So what? It doesn't change anything. She's still marrying this Jacob Black person. You still can't have her._ _She's still not yours. Her heart may be, but that's not enough._ Footsteps outside my room broke my internal rant.

"Mr. Whitlock?" my butler called from outside my room.

"Yes?" I called back.

He opened the door. "Mr. McCarty is waiting for you in the entrance hall."

Emmett? I walked downstairs. Emmett turned to look at me when I arrived and he smiled. "Took you long enough to get down here," he said. "Come on, we need to go get Edward."

"Why?" I asked. "What are we doing, Emmett?"

"We're having a boys' day!" he cheered like a five year old.

I sighed. "I'm not in the mood, Emmett. You guys have fun." I turned to leave, but before I could get far, Emmett grabbed my arm.

"Jasper, you look like you need this. Please, just come with us."

I sighed again. "Fine. Let's go get Edward."

_Edward's POV_

One week had passed since Bella had caught me with Tanya. No, caught wasn't the right word… it implied we had been doing something we shouldn't have. We had done nothing wrong. And in all truth, it actually felt a little bit nice to be with Tanya as opposed to Bella. Bella had been so… afraid and untrusting. Tanya was much more loose and trusting of me. She knew that I had feelings for her and she didn't doubt my affection. Still, I couldn't deny that something felt wrong. It almost felt like there was this… hole inside of me; a hole that grew bigger every day Bella and I were apart. I knew I still cared about her, but I knew my future didn't lie with her. It lay with Tanya, like I had originally planned. All that remained was to propose and make things official. However, I had yet to ask my parents. Every time I tried, I found myself physically unable to make the words come out of my mouth. It was like some deeper part of me knew that this was wrong and was trying to stop me. _You're just feeling nervous,_ I told myself. _I bet talking to Emmett and Jasper would help. Go see them._

I walked downstairs, planning to find Emmett and Jasper. When I opened the door, I found them standing outside, almost as if thinking of them had summoned them to my doorstep. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise," I told them. "What brings you two here?"

"We're having a boys' day," Emmett said point blank.

"Fine by me." I shut the door behind me. "Where to?"

"The park?" Jasper suggested.

"Brilliant idea, Jasper," Emmett said. "Our usual spot?" We nodded. Our usual spot referred to a secluded willow grove, perfect for those times where we wanted to partake in behavior that wasn't necessarily appropriate for bachelors of our social class. I saw four familiar bulges under Emmett's coat, and knew he had some scotch and a few glasses hidden in his jacket. I rolled my eyes. I should have known that Emmett's idea of a boys' day would involve alcohol. Personally, I wasn't in the mood to drink. I was going to leave that to them today.

We walked through the park quickly, but leisurely, so we wouldn't attract attention. We had almost reached the ring of trees when I heard someone call my name. "Edward!" I turned to see Tanya hurrying towards me. Her sisters, Kate and Irina, sat a little ways back on a bench with Garrett. Their younger brother, Vasilii, was running around with the other young children in the grass. I turned my attention back to Tanya.

"Miss Denali," I said, kissing her hand. "What a pleasure it is to see you. Do you know Mr. Whitlock and Mr. McCarty?"

Tanya quickly looked at them. "It's nice to meet you," she said, then turned back to me. "Edward, may I have a word with you? In private," she added with a hard look at Emmett and Jasper.

"We'll wait over here," Emmett said. He and Jasper moved to stand by the edge of the ring of trees.

"Yes, Tanya?"

"I heard about what happened with you and Isabella Swan and I wanted to make sure you were alright," she said, her voice tinged with sympathy. Something sounded off, though, and I immediately decided I needed to find out what.

"I've been better, I will admit," I said. "I really liked Isabella."

"It is unfortunate," Tanya agreed. "But not all together so horrible."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Be reasonable, Edward. She threw a huge fit because she saw us together. That seems a little bit controlling, don't you think?"

"It does sound unreasonable, but that's because you're missing one small detail that makes it sound much more understandable."

"I don't mean to sound critical, Edward. I just want what's best for you."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, me, of course. I willing to let you live your own life, Edward. Not like her."

"That's very considerate of you, Tanya."

"Why, thank you, Edward." I caught the same hint in her tone, only this time I realized what it was. Smugness. Suddenly, everything became clear. Tanya had orchestrated the whole thing. She didn't care about me; it was a ploy, to get me away from Bella. _What an idiot I've been._ I remembered something an old friend of mine, James, had said about Tanya. _"The girl is like a card player. Any time she finds something better than what she's got, she'll trade up, no matter the cost."_ He would know. She was being courted by another friend of ours, Sam, when they had met. The next thing we all knew, she and Sam were done, and James was courting her. Then, two months later, Tanya met Riley, and James became history, just like Sam. Just like Riley had become when Tanya met… me. Just like I would be when Tanya found someone better. _I won't become one of her toys. I need to get out of this._

"Tanya, if you don't mind my asking, why does my happiness and well being matter to you so much?"

Tanya laughed. "I care about you, Edward, that's why."

"Really?" I asked her. "It isn't because you just want me around to make you look good?"

"Don't be absurd, Edward." Tanya said with another laugh, this time a nervous one.

"So you truly like me? Not like you liked Sam or James or Riley? You want me around for me, not because I'm one of the most eligible bachelors in Forks?"

"Yes, I want you around for you," she said unconvincingly.

"I wish I could believe you, Tanya, but I can't. You were never very good at lying."

"Edward, I'm telling the truth."

"I'm sorry, Tanya, but I refuse to be a part of this game anymore."

"So you're just going to go back to her? She doesn't want you anymore, Edward."

I sighed. "Maybe she doesn't, but I at least have to try. Goodbye Tanya." With that, I turned and walked over to Emmett and Jasper. "Let's go," I said. Suddenly, Emmett's scotch seemed very appealing.

Side by side, we walked through the willows, talking quietly about random things. As we got closer to the clearing, I heard a trio of high voices talking behind the leaves. As I was about to point it out to Emmett and Jasper, the voices cut out. _Never mind,_ I thought. _It's probably nothing._

_Emmett's POV_

We walked into the clearing, unaware of our company. Suddenly, we noticed the three girls standing mere feet away in the clearing with us. My eyes swept across the row of girls, suddenly meeting violet. I took a quick look at the whole face and saw none other than Rosalie. My gaze instantly hardened as I once again stared into her violet eyes. I could see how difficult it was for her to meet my gaze, but she did, locking eyes with me, her chin held up in defiance.

For a while, we simply stood there, glaring at each other. From my side, I heard Edward say, "Er… sorry, we were just… um, we'll just go…"

I was about to tell him that there was no way we were leaving when Rosalie said coolly, "You can stay. We were just leaving." Without another word she, Alice, and Bella brushed passed us and into the willow trees.

_Jasper's POV_

I followed Emmett and Edward into the clearing, nearly bumping into Emmett when he stopped short. I moved around him and saw he was glaring at my cousin. Two of her friends stood beside her, both brunettes, one tinier than the other. Suddenly, the smaller girl looked at me and I was hit with a tidal wave of emotions as I saw the all-too familiar hazel eyes of Alice Brandon. I could see many of the same emotions I felt reflected her eyes and I had to fight off the urge to hug her and make her stop hurting. I tried to meet her eyes, but she was determined to look anywhere but my eyes.

All six of us stood there in silence. Finally, Edward muttered, "Er… sorry, we were just… um, we'll just go…"

"You can stay," my cousin said, ending her glaring contest with Emmett. "We were just leaving." Quickly, Alice, Bella, and Rosalie began walking from the clearing. As Alice passed me, she spared me one last look. Our eyes met and I was once again hit with the urge to hold onto her and never let her go. I looked away, hoping to break the temptation and watched her from the side of my eye. She turned her head away from me and hurried after her friends.

_Edward's POV_

Emmett, Jasper, and I pushed aside the willow leaves and walked a few feet into the clearing. Suddenly, we all stopped short. I looked up and found myself looking at a familiar shade of mahogany hair. Bella. She looked up at me, panic written all over her face. Our eyes met and all expression and color drained from her face. I stared at her, hoping she would be able to see that I was sorry. Instead, she looked away, but I could see her watching me from the corner of her eye. I turned my head, unable to see how miserable she was, all because of me. I had to get out of there. "Er… sorry, we were just…" I was so torn apart that I couldn't form a single sentence. "Um, we'll just go…"

I wasn't even sure who I was talking to. Bella opened her mouth to talk, but Rosalie spoke first. "You can stay," she said. "We were just leaving." They started walking passed us and out of the clearing. I watched Bella go. As she passed me, Bella looked back at me. Clearly, she saw all the pain that was on my face, because she looked away and a pair of tears slid down her cheeks as she disappeared.

For a while, Emmett, Jasper, and I simply stood there, staring at the spot where the girls had disappeared. Finally, Emmett murmured, "Well, that was uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable doesn't even describe it, Emmett," Jasper said as he sat down on the bench.

"Jasper's right." I sat down next to him. "That was down right painful." Emmett handed each of us a glass of scotch and I downed mine in a few seconds before grabbing the bottle and pouring myself another.

For a while, we just sat there, drinking scotch. "So what did Tanya want?" Emmett asked finally.

"She was trying to turn me into her latest play toy." I took a hearty swig of my scotch.

"Doesn't she usually only pull that stunt on guys who have feelings for her?" Jasper asked.

"Yes," I said. "Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to give her and one other person the idea that I had feelings for her."

"Who?" Emmett asked, finishing his first scotch.

"Bella." Emmett and Jasper looked at me pitifully. "Don't give me those pitying looks. I brought this on myself. If I hadn't been so stupid as to fall for Tanya's tricks…." I trailed off and finished my second scotch.

"I know how you feel," Jasper said. I looked at him skeptically. He looked back into the brown liquid in his glass before lifting it to his lips and draining it. "I was also stupid and believed things I shouldn't have."

"Huh?" I said as I poured us all more scotch.

"Apparently, Alice's betrothed has returned from the dead to claim his bride." He took a long gulp of his drink, ignoring my and Emmett's confused looks. "I know, it sounds ridiculous. I certainly didn't believe her at first. I believed my own misconceived notions. But now I can tell it's the truth. Not that changes anything," he added bitterly. "I still lost her."

Emmett placed a reassuring hand on Jasper's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jasper. I can empathize. Rosalie's getting married too."

"Who's the groom?" Jasper asked.

Emmett took a long sip of scotch. "Royce King," he said finally.

"Your old rival?" I asked.

"Yeah," Emmett said. "Though as far as I'm concerned, he still is my rival. Not that Rosalie knows that. Or that I'm courting Heidi Volterra, because it seems like up until today she had disappeared off the face of the earth."

Jasper and I stared at him. "You're courting Heidi?" Jasper finally choked out.

"Only to make Rosalie jealous," Emmett said. "Not that it's working. Heidi and I have been playing the couple all week and not once have we seen Royce and Rosalie. It's like he's hiding her away or something. Probably worried I'd try to steal her away from him. Not that he cares about her, of course." We all fell silent, each wrapped up in his own thoughts and drink. I was reaching for the bottle to pour myself a fourth drink when Emmett grabbed my wrist. "I think you've had enough, Edward."

"I think we've all had enough," Jasper said. "Besides," he gestured to the long shadows around us. "It's getting late. We should go." Emmett gathered up the glasses and tucked them back under his jacket along with the mostly empty bottle of scotch. We straightened up our appearances, making sure our less than proper behavior would not be discovered, and left the willow grove. We started up the main path when I woman called "Emmett!" from behind us.

_Emmett's POV_

"Emmett!" she called again. Edward, Jasper, and I turned and found ourselves face-to-face with Heidi Volterra. "Emmett," she said. "I need to talk to you."

"We'll go wait by the carriage," Edward said. "Give you two some time to talk." They walked away.

I looked at Heidi with a smile. "I'm so glad we ran into each other, Heidi." I reached down to take her hand, playing my part. "Would like to go with me for a walk or…"

"I'm sorry, Emmett," Heidi interrupted me. "But I can't help you anymore."

My heart sank. "Why not?" I asked her, anger boiling inside me. She held up her left hand to show me the glittering engagement ring on her finger.

"I'm engaged to Felix Volturi," she explained. "It isn't what I would have chosen for myself, but unfortunately, I don't have a choice. Aro offered a dowry that my father wasn't in a position to refuse. We're going through some tough times and the only way to save the family from wreck is for Renata, Jane, and I to marry."

"Who are your sisters marrying?" I asked. I couldn't believe my ears. The situation must be awful if little Jane had to marry to help save the family. My anger abated as I realized how much Heidi was sacrificing for her family. How much all three of them were sacrificing.

"Renata's marrying Caius Volturi's son, Demetri, and Jane's marrying Marcus Volturi's son, Alec. Both offered handsome dowries for my sisters. I can only hope the money will save my parents from ruin."

"I hope so too," I told her.

"So you're not mad?"

"I'm upset, but you're doing the right thing, Heidi. You're first loyalty should always be to your family. If this is what they need you to do, then that's what you should do."

"Thank you, Emmett," Heidi said. She turned her head slightly and sighed. I followed her gaze and saw her two sisters approaching, followed by three gentlemen who were no doubt Felix, Demetri, and Alec, their fiancés. "I should go," Heidi said, turning back to me. "I'm sorry, Emmett." She rushed away before I could respond.

"Yeah," I said to Heidi's retreating figure. "I am too."

**Bet no of y'all saw that coming. I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?**

**Ta-ta for now.**

**xoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


	17. One Last Chance

**I've been busy, okay? Yeesh.**

Chapter 17 – One Last Chance (Jasper's POV)

Only a few hours had passed since the horrid episode in the meadow, but the agony of it made it feel like an eternity. I had tried my hardest not to think about what happened, not to think about her, but I couldn't. I needed some way to see her again, to talk to her one last time, before I would cut all ties between us and just… disappear. Die serving the Confederate Army. But how? She would never want to see me face-to-face. It would have to be in secret, so she wouldn't know – at least, not until I wanted her to know, if I ever did. That still didn't answer the question of how, though. Suddenly, I had an idea. Carlisle and Esme were having a masquerade ball this weekend. If I could just find Alice, I would be able to accomplish all that I wanted: I would be able to see her again, talk to her one last time; hopefully, I would even be able to dance one last dance with her. It would be perfect. But how would I find her? It was unlikely that either my cousin or Bella would betray their best friend like that. So who did that leave?

I paced back and forth, trying to think of another way to find Alice. Just then, a memory came to me, of a day a few weeks ago. I had been out walking through town when I had spotted Alice from a far with Isabella, Rosalie, and few other friends… _What were their names?_ Suddenly, I remembered. Lauren Mallory, Angela Weber, and Jessica Stanley. I smiled. I had my way to find Alice. _You should tell Emmett and Edward about this. Maybe they'd like the chance to talk to Rosalie and Isabella._

_**The next day…**_

_Edward's POV_

I paced back and forth across my room in frustration. _Maybe I could go see her and apologize…no, she wouldn't listen to me; she'd just throw me out of her house. Maybe I could send her a letter…no, she'd probably burn it. There has got to be a way to get Isabella to talk to me again! But how?_

_Knock, knock._ "Mr. Masen?" Reuben called.

"Yes, Reuben?" I answered.

He opened the door. "A messenger has just arrived from Mr. Whitlock. He is requesting your presence at his house immediately."

"Very well." I grabbed a jacket and hurried downstairs. Within minutes, I was pulling up outside of Jasper's house. Not surprisingly, Emmett's carriage stood in the driveway as well. I walked over to the front door and knocked. The butler let me in and showed me to one of the smaller parlors in the house. Jasper and Emmett were waiting when I walked in. Both acknowledged me with a quick head nod.

"So, Jasper," I asked once I was seated. "Why did you call us here?"

"I have an idea that I think you both might be interested in hearing," he replied.

"About?" Emmett asked.

"About how to give us at least a chance to talk to Alice, Rosalie, and Isabella one last time. Maybe even apologize or try to make them see things through our eyes."

"What were you thinking?" Emmett asked.

"We can try to find them at Carlisle and Esme's masquerade ball. We'll all be wearing masks, so they won't know it's us."

"One problem, Jasper," I said. "They'll be wearing masks too. How will be able to tell if it's really them?"

"I already thought of an answer to that," he told me. "Remember Lauren Mallory, Jessica Stanley, and Angela Weber?"

"I'd rather not," I replied, shuddering as I remembered the utterly repulsive Lauren Mallory and the equally repulsive Jessica Stanley. Both had ambitions to become Mrs. Edward Masen, which I was desperate to avoid. Angela, the third girl, had been my favorite of the three, because she was smart and trustworthy and absolutely enamored with Ben Cheney.

"Well, they're friends with Alice, Rosalie, and Isabella," Jasper explained. "And I thought maybe, just maybe, they could lead us to them."

Emmett and I stared at Jasper in shock, mouths agape. "You're crazy," I said.

"Are you kidding, Edward? It's brilliant!" Emmett said.

"It'll never work," I argued. "Remember how drawn to them we are? I'm almost a hundred percent sure they feel the same thing. They'll know it's us before we can say a word."

"Edward, we have to try," Jasper reasoned. "We've got nothing to lose by trying and everything to gain."

"What do you two have to gain? Do you really think you can end their engagements?" I asked.

"I could care less about whether or not Alice leaves him," Jasper said. "I just need to talk to her."

"I'd be thrilled if Rosalie left Royce, but as long as can try to make her see sense, I'm happy," Emmett injected.

I sighed. "Fine. I can tell I'm clearly outnumbered here. I'll agree to try, but I still don't think we'll succeed. So what's the plan?"

"Well, the first logical step is to go find Jessica, Lauren, and Angela and see if they'll even be willing to help us," Jasper said. Reluctantly, I followed them to Jasper's carriage. We went to Lauren's house first, since it was closest, and were informed that she was at Jessica's house with Angela. We hurried over.

Jasper led the way up to the Stanleys' front door. He knocked and the butler appeared. "Can you please tell Miss Mallory, Miss Stanley, and Miss Weber that Mr. Whitlock, Mr. McCarty, and Mr. Masen are here to see them?"

"Yes, sir." The butler led us to a small parlor and left to get Jessica, Lauren, and Angela. Not to long had passed before they appeared in the doorway. Lauren and Jessica's eyes went wide when they saw me. Fortunately, I had had the hindsight to sit between Emmett and Jasper, so neither of them could get close to me.

"Edward!" Jessica cooed, completely ignoring Jasper and Emmett and forgetting her manners. "What a pleasant surprise! Whatever brings you here?"

"Unfortunately, this is not a social visit, Miss Stanley. We come to you on business." My answer was both a reminder that I did not care for her and a subtle hint at her forgotten manners.

"What sort of business?" Jessica asked.

"Please sit down, Miss Stanley, Miss Mallory, Miss Weber, and we'll talk." They sat.

"So whatever is this business of yours, Mr. Masen?" Jessica asked again, this time remembering her manners.

"Why doesn't Mr. Whitlock tell you about it? It was his idea."

"Well, Mr. Whitlock?" Lauren prompted.

Jasper cleared his throat. "I'm fairly certain by know you have heard all about the unfortunate incidents that passed between Miss Alice Brandon and myself, Miss Rosalie Hale and Mr. McCarty, and Miss Isabella Swan and Mr. Masen."

"Yes, we are aware of them. Our deepest sympathies, especially to you, Mr. Masen. If you ever…" Lauren began, but Angela cut her off.

"Yes, we heard about them from the ladies involved. Do continue," she said. _Thank you God for Angela Weber and her common sense,_ I said to myself.

"Well, we deeply regret the misunderstandings that passed between us and them, and wish to remedy them. Unfortunately, Miss Brandon, Miss Hale, and Miss Swan do not seem receptive to our attempts at reconciliation."

"That's very unfortunate, but perhaps for the best, Mr. Masen," Jessica said. "Perhaps you should consider other…"

"And how does this concern us?" Angela spoke over her friend for the second time that day.

"We were hoping you'd be willing to help us in reconciling with your lovely friends," Jasper said.

"How do you propose we do that?" Angela questioned.

"Currently, Miss Brandon, Miss Hale, and Miss Swan to not seem to take to the sight of us too kindly. We believe that, if we were to talk to them without them knowing it was us, some of the damage could be undone. We plan to find them at the Cullens' masquerade ball this Saturday evening and talking to them then."

"And you need our help to find them," Angela stated.

"Yes," Jasper said. "We will not be able to search for them too closely, for fear of revealing ourselves and our intentions, but you ladies should be able to search them out quite easily, since you are their friends. Then, all we ask of you is to point them out to us and we will take care of the rest."

Angela paused to consider what we had asked of her. Jessica and Lauren were trying to disguise their murderous feelings. I had to stifle a laugh. Of course they would never help. Why would they help me find Isabella when they wanted me for themselves?

"While I must admit that I am sympathetic to your cause, gentlemen, I'm afraid I cannot help you," Jessica said.

"I cannot either," Lauren said.

"I'll help you," Angela said. Five mouths dropped open in shock. "I can see that Miss Brandon, Miss Hale, and Miss Swan are important to you and I want to help you fix this problem. I don't like seeing my friends so hurt."

I recovered first. "That's very noble of you, Miss Weber," I said. "Would you be interested in helping me?" I knew that Isabella and Angela were close, and, frankly, I would have the best chance of success if I had Angela's help.

"I would be glad to, Mr. Masen," she answered. Lauren and Jessica's faces went from shocked to furious.

"Well, Miss Stanley, Miss Mallory, would you like to reconsider helping us?" Emmett entreated them, speaking for the first time since we had arrived.

Lauren hesitated. "Very well," she said finally. "I will help as well."

"I will as well," Jessica conceded.

"Thank you, Miss Mallory," Emmett said. "May I entreat you to assist me?"

"And Miss Stanley, will you assist me?" Jasper asked.

"I would be delighted, Mr. McCarty," Lauren said, not bothering to disguise her apparent disgust and contempt.

"As would I, Mr. Whitlock," Jessica said in the same manner as Lauren.

"Thank you ladies," I said as we stood to go. "We are in your debt." Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. "Ladies, if you don't mind my asking, have you picked your dresses for Saturday evening?"

"Yes, we have," Jessica said. "May I enquire as to why you wanted to know this?"

"What colors will you be wearing? This way, we can find you more easily." It didn't help us to arrange a way to find Alice, Isabella, and Rosalie if we couldn't find the girls who would help us find them in the crowd.

"That's a smart idea Mr. Masen," Angela commented. "We will gladly tell you. I will be wearing lavender."

"I plan to wear magenta," Jessica said.

"And I plan to wear green," Lauren said.

"Thank you, ladies. We will see you Saturday." We turned to go.

"Wait, you haven't told us what color suits you will be wearing," Angela said. "We need to be able to find you too, don't we?"

"You are right, Miss Weber," I told her. "I will be wearing black."

"My suit and mask will be a silver-gray," Jasper said.

"And mine suit is a basic black and whit suit with a white mask," Emmett said. With that, we bid them goodbye.

Once we were safely in the carriage, Jasper let out a sigh of relief. "I didn't think they were going to agree to this," he confessed.

"If it wasn't for Angela, they might not have," I pointed out. "We really owe her a lot. If she hadn't interrupted Jessica and Lauren those times…. And when she agreed…. That really tipped the scales in our favor."

"And did you see how Jessica and Lauren were staring at Eddie the whole time?" Emmett chuckled loudly.

I growled. "Emmett, you know you are not allowed to call me Eddie. And two, they can stare all they want. They're never going to be Mrs. Edward Masen, so they may as we get over their little obsessions with me."

"Relax, Edward, I was just joking," Emmett said. Then he turned serious. "Do you really think this will work?"

"At this point, Emmett, I think all we can do is hope. It's not in our hands now," Jasper said. As much as I hated to admit it, Jasper was right. We had done all we could. Now we simply had to sit back and hope that we could trust Angela, Jessica, and Lauren and that we would get our second chances.

**And there you have it. The big masquerade ball scene is up next. Plenty of drama, amour, and heartbreak. Should be fun.**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212**


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